Balaghat: In an apparent satirical jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Madhya Pradesh over the deaths of more than 30 tribal children allegedly due to infectious diseases and poor health conditions, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a post, saying he “resigned as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh with immediate effect.”
In a post, Dipke wrote a “letter” addressed to the Madhya Pradesh Governor, sarcastically taking responsibility the deaths and failure to act. “As Chief Minister, I accept responsibility for failing to provide them with the timely medical care and support they needed. Many of these lives could possibly have been saved, and I cannot escape responsibility for that failure,” read the letter.
Continuing his roast, Dipke admits “his” government hangs its head in shame about the insensitivity of the children’s deaths and holding no health officer accountable.
“What is equally shameful is our insensitivity after their deaths. We initially announced compensation of merely ₹2 lakh per child, increasing it to ₹4 lakh only after the Tribal community protested. It forces me to ask an uncomfortable question: would we have considered ₹4 lakh adequate had these been the children of Ministers or MLAs? Our response reflects how little value we have placed on the lives of Tribal children.
He then takes a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims of successfully providing tap water to every households under the Har Ghar Nal Yojna.
“Our failures go beyond healthcare. While our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, aka Vishwaguru, has declared the success of providing tap water to households under the Har Ghar Nal Yojna, Tribal families in parts of Balaghat still depend on river water for drinking, putting their health at risk,” read the leter.
Letter contain hard facts
While the resignation letter itself is fake, the crisis it references is under active scrutiny:
More than 30 children from the Baiga and Gond tribal communities in Balaghat recently lost their lives due to suspected outbreaks of measles and malaria.
The Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued formal notices to the State Health Department, the Women and Child Development Department, and the Balaghat Collector following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The PIL cited severely overcrowded medical facilities (400 children being treated in a 50-bed hospital), contaminated drinking water sources, and delayed malnutrition interventions.
Dipke heckled by ‘influencers’
The previous day (September 13), a group of people appearing to be social media influencers heckled CJP founder during his visit to Balaghat, asking if he had come to do “politics” over the deaths.
Dipke visited Adori, Korka and Bondari villages to meet the families of the deceased children.
A viral video showed a woman ‘influencer’ sticking a mic in Dipke’s face as he was driving away in a car, and asking him if he had come there to “do politics on corpses” and why he was visiting the area so late.
“A good road has been constructed here. Can’t you see it?”
Dipke was heard saying he apologised for visiting the area late. As the situation escalated, CJP workers accompanying Dipke put him in another car and took him away.
Local journalists said they were surprised to see this group of social media influencers from outside turning up in the remote village, and wondered if they had been sent by someone to disrupt the CJP founder’s visit.
High Court pulls up Madhya Pradesh govt
The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently sought a response from the state government over the deaths of more than 30 children in the region.
The HC issued notices to the state Health Department, Women and Child Development Department, Balaghat collector and others while hearing a PIL, alleging that children were not receiving adequate treatment and that around 400 children were being treated at a hospital with a capacity of 50 beds.
A report prepared by the petitioner alleged widespread filth in the area and claimed that these conditions were causing infections and that children continued to die from diseases.
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