Rahul Gandhi Slams Modi, MP Govt Over Rat Bite Deaths Of Two Infants

Two newborns admitted to the paediatric surgery ward of Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital in Indore died recently after being bitten by rats, triggering outrage and strong criticism from the Opposition.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called the incident "outright murder," blaming poor management at the government-run hospital and accusing both the Centre and the Madhya Pradesh government of gross negligence.

"This is no accident, this is outright murder. The incident is so horrific, inhuman, and insensitive that even hearing about it sends shivers down the spine. A mother has been robbed of her child simply because the government failed to fulfil its most basic responsibility," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha wrote in Hindi on X.

The infants were bitten on the night of August 30-31-one on the hand, the other on the shoulder. One of them, weighing just 1.2 kilograms, died on Tuesday. Doctors cited congenital complications and severe infection as the primary cause but admitted that the rat bites further worsened the condition. The second infant died on Wednesday.

The hospital administration suspended staff members responsible for the children's safety and launched an investigation. Dr. Arvind Ghanghoria, Dean of MGM Medical College, acknowledged lapses in safety protocols and said a high-level committee has been formed to probe the matter.

Rahul Gandhi questioned the repeated promises of inquiries, stating: "When you can't even ensure the safety of newborn children, what right do you have to run the government? PM Modi and the Chief Minister of MP should hang their heads in shame."

He further alleged that the "privatisation" of healthcare has left good treatment accessible only to the rich, while government hospitals for the poor have turned into "dens of death."

Hospital staff admitted that rats had been spotted in the ward several days earlier, but no formal complaint was filed.

"Modi ji, this voice is rising on behalf of lakhs of parents who are victims of governmental negligence. What will be your response? We will not remain silent. This fight is for the rights of every poor person, every family, every child," Rahul Gandhi added.

Amulya Nidhi, a representative of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Madhya Pradesh, said the NGO has approached the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights demanding an independent inquiry. He alleged that negligence in hygiene and safety protocols at the neonatal ICU allowed rats to bite the infants, leading to their deaths.

The deaths have sparked widespread anger, with many viewing the incident as a shocking failure of the public healthcare system in Madhya Pradesh.