Gorakhpur tragedy: Loss of life was nothing less than heinous crime, admits UP Minister

While the Uttar Pradesh government is facing severe Opposition criticism over 70 deaths in Gorakhpur allegedly due to oxygen shortages since last week, state Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said on Wednesday that any loss of life due to such a reason was nothing less than a heinous crime.

He said that all aspects related to the deaths at the state-run BRD Medical College and Hospital were being probed by a panel led by UP the chief secretary, and promised that those found guilty would be punished. A central team, however, said that there was no evidence to link the deaths to oxygen shortages. Meanwhile, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh launched a 'Gandhigiri' campaign in Lucknow to highlight the state government's "failure in ensuring proper healthcare services".

Party workers, led by state Congress chief Raj Babbar, held a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue at GPO Park and sang "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram... " for more than two hours. The police detained Babbar and others.