"Not Water, Poison Being Distributed": Rahul Gandhi On Indore Deaths

Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP's Madhya Pradesh government Friday over the contamination of drinking water in Indore – a serial winner of the centre's 'cleanest cities in India' ranking.

"In Indore, there was no water – just poison being distributed – while the administration slumbered like Kumbhakarna," the Congress MP said in a long X post this afternoon.

"Mourning has spread from home to home, the poor are helpless – and to top it off, arrogant statements from BJP leaders. Those whose hearths have gone cold needed solace; the government served up hubris instead," Gandhi said, referring to a controversial comment by Madhya Pradesh BJP leader and state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijavargiya, who snapped back at NDTV's Anurag Dwary this week when asked about deaths due to toxic water.

इंदौर में पानी नहीं, ज़हर बंटा और प्रशासन कुंभकर्णी नींद में रहा।

घर-घर मातम है, गरीब बेबस हैं - और ऊपर से BJP नेताओं के अहंकारी बयान। जिनके घरों में चूल्हा बुझा है, उन्हें सांत्वना चाहिए थी; सरकार ने घमंड परोस दिया।

लोगों ने बार-बार गंदे, बदबूदार पानी की शिकायत की - फिर भी…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 2, 2026

Separately the Congress said on X: "In Madhya Pradesh, people are dying from drinking contaminated water and when questions are raised, BJP government ministers are using thuggish language."

At least a dozen people have died in a diarrhoea outbreak caused by the contaminated water and over 200 others, by some estimates, have been admitted to various hospitals, including 32 in ICUs.

A laboratory test conducted Thursday by a city-based medical college confirmed sewage – near a newly constructed public toilet in the Bhagirathpura area – had leaked into the water.

Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey told news agency PTI, "We are closely examining the entire drinking water supply pipeline to find out if there is any leakage elsewhere." He said water supply had been restored but people had been urged to boil the water before drinking it.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Indore, met patients, and chaired a review meeting, promising that such a tragedy would not be repeated and that action would follow the investigation report.

Two Public Health Engineering officials have been suspended and one sacked so far, while a three-member panel has been tasked with the investigation.

Compensation of Rs 2 lakh has been paid to the families of those who were killed.