Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Urban Administration and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya conceded that the Bhagirathpura incident in Indore occurred due to negligence and delay in work.
He said a lesson has been learnt from the incident and various precautionary measures are being implemented not only in Bhagirathpura but across the state.
He was speaking in the assembly during a discussion on whether the adjournment motion moved by Opposition on the Bhagirathpura incident should be accepted.
Since the case is sub-judice, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar decided not to accept the motion. Following this, Congress staged a walkout from the assembly.
Earlier, a heated debate between ruling and Opposition members forced the Speaker to adjourn the house for 10 minutes. During the discussion, ex-Speaker and BJP MLA Sitasharan Sharma cited several references to support the view that the adjournment motion should not be accepted. Minister Vijayvargiya also requested the Speaker to reject it.
He highlighted the series of events leading to the Bhagirathpura incident, describing the settlement as a smaller version of Mumbai s Dharavi, where less-educated residents live. Municipal corporation employees face challenges in carrying out work in such areas. Vijayvargiya accused the Opposition of politicising the incident, which he said brought a blot on the face of Indore, one of India s cleanest cities. I love Indore like my mother, and criticism of it hurts me deeply, he said.
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar countered, stating that many people died in the incident, yet the government did not treat the deaths as murder. Post-incident, only officers from Dalit and tribal communities faced action, while higher-ranking officers were promoted. Vijayvargiya denied caste-based action, saying officers were not removed on that basis.
Singhar said that he personally conducted water sample testing and found that all of Indore faced Bhagirathpura-like threats. The Pollution Control Board tested 60 samples, 59 of which were polluted. He said that timely government action could have prevented the tragedy. Singhar termed the incident a sponsored crime, claiming 35 people died, possibly more as outsiders also consumed contaminated water.
