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Bhopal: The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh hit out at the BJP government over carbide guns that turned the Diwali festival into a tragedy leaving nearly 300 people injured, many of them being treated in hospitals in different parts of the state.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar claimed that ICMR had suggested banning the use of carbide guns in 2023, but the government did not take that warning seriously.
He said that this is a classic example of negligence due to which the eyesight of many children got damaged.
“Imagine the pain of those children who have lost their eyesight and are struggling in hospitals. This shows the irresponsible behavior of the BJP government. Health crises are emerging one after the other in Madhya Pradesh, but the BJP government has maintained silence,” Singhar said after meeting some children admitted in Bhopal’s Hamidia Hospital.
In a targeted attack on Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who oversees the state health department, the Congress leader said, if (Shukla) cannot handle the department, he should resign from the cabinet.
Singhar said, “If Health Minister Rajendra Shukla is not capable of handling the health department, then why did Chief Minister Mohan Yadav not send him back to Rewa?” He alleged that after he took over the department, the health and medical system of the state has completely collapsed.
Although the government has not revealed any specific number of people affected by carbide guns, the opposition claimed that around 300 people have been affected and around 20 of them (children) have lost their eyes.
The most affected district is Vidisha, where these crude “carbide guns” were sold openly in the local markets despite the government ban issued on October 18.
These makeshift devices, priced between Rs 150 and Rs 200, are being made and sold like toys, but they explode like bombs.
Doctors at AIIMS-Bhopal said that there are primarily two types of injuries to the eye – acid and alkali. While acid injuries are less serious due to limited penetration, alkali injuries are quite dangerous.
–IANS