Madhya Pradesh’s Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited Indore’s Bhagirathpura area on Thursday to personally assess the damage caused by a water contamination incident that has claimed eight lives and left more than a hundred people hospitalised.
However, the visit turned tense quickly. Women stopped the minister on the way and complained about polluted water in their neighbourhoods. Families of those who died also confronted him, expressing anger over what they said was the administration’s failure to handle the crisis properly, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Deceased family refused to meet minister
The minister, who was flanked by officials and supporters, faced embarrassment when the family of Chandrakala Yadav, one of the deceased, refused to meet him. A relative, Roshini Yadav, who was visibly emotional, explained their anger in front of the minister.
“The family is distressed. One of their other relatives is also facing health problems. The minister called up the local hospital where that relative is being treated,” one of Vijayvargiya’s aides was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Soon after, State Congress president Jitu Patwari visited Bhagirathpura and met the affected families. He listened as residents spoke about their repeated complaints over contaminated water, alleged forced discharges from hospitals, and the absence of refunds despite government assurances.
Vijayvargiya’s controversial remarks and public apology
A day earlier, when a journalist questioned Vijayvargiya, who represents the Indore-1 constituency, about the deaths and hospital refunds, he reacted sharply and said, “Fokat ke sawaal poochhte ho, kya ghanta ho gaya (You ask useless questions, what has happened)?”
By evening, the minister issued an apology on social media. As Opposition leaders sought his resignation over his comments, Vijayvargiya put out a post on X, saying, “My team and I have been continuously working in the affected area for the past two days without sleep to improve the situation. My people are suffering due to contaminated water, and some have lost their lives. In this state of deep grief, my words came out wrong while responding to a media question. I express my regret for this. However, until my people are completely safe and healthy, I will not sit quietly.”
For the BJP, the water contamination issue has gone beyond a public health crisis and turned into a political problem in one of its strongest urban centres.
The project to supply piped water from the Narmada river to Indore has been one of the party’s flagship initiatives and is regularly highlighted as a major achievement, alongside schemes like Ladli Behana Yojana and several Central government programmes.
Vijayvargiya’s visit on Thursday was clearly planned for visibility. Surrounded by officials and party workers, he rode through the congested lanes of Bhagirathpura on a bike. But residents repeatedly blocked his path. In the narrow bylanes, people gathered around him, shouting complaints they said had been ignored for months, the IE report mentioned.
“Kai dino se dooshit paani ki shikayat ki ja rahi hai lekin kisi ne sunvaai nahin ki (for days, we complained about contaminated water, but no one listened),” IE reported a local resident as saying.