Encephalitis has claimed the lives of 126 children in Bihar until now, a majority from the Muzaffarpur area, and public anger against the administration is palpable. On his first visit to the city today, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was accosted by angry crowds who wanted to know why he had dropped by over 17 days after the start of the outbreak. And yet, the authorities are being criticised for not taking the situation seriously enough. While Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey had his eyes deceptively closed during a press meet on encephalitis on Sunday, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey drew widespread criticism for enquiring about an ongoing cricket match at another event held for the purpose. But the proverbial cherry on top came only today, with a local BJP lawmaker admitting that a few "tiny mistakes" may have come to pass in the battle against the deadly disease.
