Children's deaths in Muzaffarnagar relief camps: Nobody dies of cold, says UP Home Secretary

Briefing the media about the findings by the appointed committee to probe into the raging controversy of children's deaths in the relief camps for  Muzaffarnagar riot victims, Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary for Home Anil Gupta said that people do not die of cold.

"Children have died of pneumonia, not of cold. Nobody can die of cold. If people died of cold, nobody would have been alive in Siberia," Gupta said

This came after the fact-finding committee submitted their report. The Uttar Pradesh government has admitted for the first time that 34 children below the age of 15 died in the aftermath of the clashes.

The government's fact-finding committee, however, says of the 34 child deaths between September 7 and December 20, only 10-12 took place in relief camps of which four were due to pneumonia. The rest died at private or government hospitals where their parents took them, it said.

Gupta said 4,783 people were still living in five camps including one in Loi in Muzaffarnagar district and another four at Madarsa Taimul Shah, Malakpur, Barnavi and Edgah in Shamli district. He said most of the children who lost their lives were the ones who had been taken outside the camps for treatment by their parents or were referred to government hospitals, Gupta said. "The cause of the death of all these children was different. Four of them died of pneumonia while some breathed their last due to dysentery. One infant died due to premature birth," Gupta added.

Initially the state government had denied any deaths at any of the camps in Muzaffarnagar and had even submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court with similar claims. However, following sustained media campaigns, the court asked the UP government to verify the facts. Thereafter, the state government formed a panel on December 13, 2013 to look into the specifics. The committee was headed by the Commissioner, Meerut Division, Manjit Singh. The district magistrates and chief medical officers of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli were nominated as its members. The committee initially confirmed the death of 11 children. The same committee has now confirmed that 34 children had died at the camps.

The UP report even trashes SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's theory that the camps are full of Congress and BJP conspirators.

Mulayam had said, "Those in the camps are not victims. These are conspirators along with BJP and Congress. Rahul wants to keep the issue alive for elections."

The remarks came a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the relief camps set up for Muzaffarnagar riots victims. 

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the UP Chief Secretary and the District Magistrates of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli on the issue.