Supriya Shrinate calls Indore water tragedy state-sponsored murder, seeks action against BJP leaders

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Wednesday alleged that the deaths of 32 people due to contaminated drinking water from the Narmada river, supplied through household taps by the Indore Municipal Corporation in the Bhagirathpura area of Indore, were “state-sponsored murders.”

Interacting with media persons at the Indore Press Club, Shrinate claimed that at least 32 people had died so far after consuming contaminated drinking water.

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She demanded the removal of Madhya Pradesh Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, the registration of a murder case against Indore’s BJP Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, and compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of all the deceased.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP government has announced compensation of Rs two lakh to the kin of each deceased.

“The deaths of 32 people due to the consumption of contaminated water in the city are, in fact, state-sponsored murders committed by the government and the system. The government will have to answer for this,” the Congress social media and Digital Platforms chairperson said.

Bhagirathpura falls under the Indore-1 State Assembly constituency, which is represented by Kailash Vijayvargiya.

She alleged that the BJP was so intoxicated with power that it had no concern for the suffering of the people.

Drawing a comparison, the Congress leader said that even Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had come to Indore from Delhi to understand the pain of the victims of the drinking water tragedy, but Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and Indore Lok Sabha MP Shankar Lalwani of the BJP had not found time to visit Bhagirathpura.

Shrinate further charged that the Centre had allocated Rs 67,000 crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission in the Union Budget for the 2025–26 financial year, but only Rs 17,000 crore had been spent under the scheme, while Rs 50,000 crore was “saved.”