Kota children's deaths: Pilot criticises own government

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday took an apparent dig at his own government on the 'number game politics' over the death of children in Kota's JK Lon hospital, and said accountability should be fixed for the deaths of innocent children.

"Either administration, medicos, or government... someone needs to be held accountable for these deaths," he said expressing anger against the Ashok Gehlot-led government in which he is the number two.

"Thirteen months after forming our government in the state, targeting the previous government on irregularities being reported in the hospital shall not solve the issue.

"Had they been doing things right, they (BJP) might not have been rejected by the people. People have chosen us and therefore we need to be compassionate and sensitive on this issue," Pilot said.

The deputy chief minister added that getting into the 'number game politics' will not be accepted by those who lost their children.

Chief Minster Ashok Gehlot had earlier said that the mortality rate of infants in 2019 has been the lowest in the last six years.

Pilot said that he has not come to politicise the issue and there is "no one with him to raise slogans here".

"I am talking of fixing accountability and responsibility. I met the bereaved families here who shared their pain and grief on losing their children as young as 2-4 months old. They told me 'we have lost our kid, but we don't want a repeat of this in future'," the deputy chief minster said.IANS