Cough syrup deaths: Congress accuses BJP-led Rajasthan govt for inaction
The party claimed that despite clear evidence of toxicity and rising fatalities, the state authorities failed to act promptly against the pharmaceutical company involved
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh of negligence in handling the deaths of 17 children allegedly caused by the consumption of a contaminated cough syrup.
The party claimed that despite clear evidence of toxicity and rising fatalities, the state authorities failed to act promptly against the pharmaceutical company involved.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Rajasthan leader of opposition Tika Ram Jully said the government’s “lackadaisical” approach reflected both insensitivity and possible corruption in the procurement of medicines from blacklisted companies.
“When the cases of death increased, instead of taking action, the Rajasthan government formed an inquiry committee, which directly means that the matter will now be shelved indefinitely,” Jully said.
Also Read: Punjab bans ‘adulterated’ Coldrif syrup after 16 deaths in Madhya Pradesh
He further alleged that despite acknowledging the issue, the state allowed the continued sale of the contaminated batch.
“When the number of child deaths increased in Rajasthan in the last days of September, the government declared the batch of cough syrup as poisonous, but continued its sale… The series of continuous child deaths continues in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and there has been massive corruption in the procurement of these medicines,” he added.
According to official data, at least 17 children have died in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after consuming the cough syrup Coldrif, which was found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent used in products like antifreeze.
The first death was reported in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district on September 4, but the medicine continued to be distributed and prescribed. Subsequent lab tests confirmed dangerously high levels of DEG in the samples.
Following the findings, several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Telangana, banned the sale of Coldrif and initiated an investigation into the pharmaceutical company’s operations.
Madhya Pradesh leader of opposition Umang Singhar accused the state government of turning a blind eye to repeated warnings.
“In Chhindwara, 16 children have died. Our local MLA warned the government several times, but no action was taken. When the matter escalated, the body of a girl was exhumed from the grave for a postmortem. Children continued to die in the state, while the Chief Minister was roaming in Assam’s Kaziranga Park,” Singhar said.
A statement from the BJP is awaited and the copy will be updated whenever it is received.
