Nitish should resign on moral grounds: RJD leader over deaths due to Encephalitis

Muzaffarpur: RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh on Wednesday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should resign from his post on moral grounds over the death of over 100 children Muzaffarpur due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

"The one who has the steering in his hands, shouldn't he run the vehicle properly? The steering is in Chief Minister's hands. Then who else will be held responsible for this. He (Nitish Kumar) should himself resign on the basis of morality. Since many years, they couldn't find a cure to this disease and maintain the hospitals. Also, they didn't fulfill whatever they promised," Singh told ANI here.

"The state government is responsible for this. Since last 15-20 years, children have been dying because of this. But who takes note of the deaths in rural areas? Around 300-400 children have died there. Secondly, every year specialists come here but it has not been found yet why this disease is breaking out. Somebody said it is because of litchi fruit, while the other said it is because of heat wave," he added.

Singh criticised the facilities provided at SKMCH for patients and said, "There are no basic (facilities) provided in hospital... SKMCH is hell. People can't walk in the hospital without covering nose. No bed, no fans, no water... Doctors are doing their jobs as per the facilities provided to them. They have kept three people on one bed. Around 200-250 patients are lying there on the floor. There can't be (more) shameful than the state government claiming that everything is alright."

Asked about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Singh said, "I don't know exactly where he is. Maybe he has gone to watch the World Cup. I am not sure about it."