Indore (Madhya Pradesh): With the number of deaths rising due to contaminated water in Bhagirathpura, Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari met former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan at her residence on Friday. The meeting was described as formal but it is being seen as very important in the present situation.
After the meeting, Patwari said that this issue is not about politics but about human lives. He claimed that around 70 per cent of water in the state is not fit for drinking as mentioned in the NGT report. He said the Congress is fighting so that every citizen gets clean and safe drinking water.
Patwari said that 24 deaths are not a small matter and the government should stop blaming others and focus on finding a permanent solution to the problem of polluted water. He also announced that the Congress will conduct a social audit of water quality across the state. He added that Rahul Gandhi will visit Indore on Saturday to meet affected families and patients.
Sumitra Mahajan said Patwari has raised the issue of bad water at many places in Indore. She suggested taking technical advice from experts of IIT, IIM and other institutions and sharing it with the government. She also said that the opposition should strongly raise public issues in a democracy.
During the meeting, City Congress president and Leader of Opposition in IMC Chintu Choukse, MPCC spokesperson Neelabh Shukla and other Congress leaders were present.