Rahul Gandhi To Visit Indore Amid Contaminated Water Deaths, Gets 'Surprise' Welcome

As political temperatures rise over the contaminated water crisis in Indore, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to arrive in the city on Saturday, a visit that has already triggered sharp reactions across party lines.

Welcoming Rahul Gandhi's visit, former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan struck a conciliatory note, underlining the role of the opposition in a democracy.

"This is how democracy works," she said. "The opposition should do its job strongly and effectively. We too, when we were in the opposition, fought hard and earned people's trust by showing that we stand and work for them."

According to the proposed schedule, after arriving in Indore, Rahul Gandhi will first visit Bombay Hospital, where several people affected by contaminated drinking water are undergoing treatment. He will meet patients and their families there. He is expected to go to Bhagirathpura, the epicentre of the crisis, to meet families who lost relatives due to consumption of contaminated water.

However, the visit has drawn a sharp response from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Without naming Rahul Gandhi directly, the chief minister warned against what he described as "politics over tragedy."

"We have faced this difficult phase with sensitivity," Mohan Yadav said. "If someone comes to do politics over dead bodies, Indore will not tolerate it. No one will tolerate it. If you have chosen the path of politics by searching for an opportunity in this disaster, it cannot be considered appropriate. Protest should be constructive. Otherwise, raising such issues will have far-reaching consequences."

The political backdrop to Rahul Gandhi's visit became more complex on Friday, when Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari met Sumitra Mahajan at her residence. The meeting, held behind closed doors, focused on the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident and possible long-term solutions, fuelling political speculation.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jitu Patwari said the Bhagirathpura tragedy should not be reduced to a political contest. "This is not just a political issue, it is a serious public health issue," he said.

Patwari added that large parts of Madhya Pradesh are grappling with contaminated drinking water and stressed the need to rise above party lines.

"Instead of insults or abusive language, the priority should be to ensure that the people of Indore get clean and potable water," he said. "The government must be concerned about protecting Indore's reputation and ensuring that future generations have access to a better and safer water supply system."

Sumitra Mahajan, responding to questions from the media, said that Jitu Patwari has been meeting her for a long time and described his work in positive terms. She said Patwari had approached her specifically to discuss the Bhagirathpura incident and had appealed for collective efforts to resolve the crisis.

"I gave him appropriate suggestions," she said, calling for cooperation to address the problem.