Gorakhpur tragedy: Varun Gandhi donates Rs5 crore to BRD Medical College

New Delhi: In the aftermath of the Gorakhpur tragedy which led to the death of over 60 children at a state-run hospital, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi urged parliamentarians to work for the development of rural areas on Monday.

Gandhi, who is a member of Parliament (MP) from Sultanpur, donated ₹ 5 crore from his MPLAD (Members of Parliament Local Area Development) fund to build a model hospital paediatric wing in the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College where the incident occurred.

“It is my hope that other MPs who represent a rural constituency, also initiate something similar in their respective areas, to ensure our children care and protection,” he said in an open letter.

He has also announced a donation of additional Rs5 crore which will be raised through donations from corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding.

The incident is said to have happened due to alleged discontinuation of oxygen supply by a private contractor due to non-payment of dues. The ruling BJP government in the state has been drawing flak for the incident with the opposition attacking it for negligence.

Meanwhile Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a report from the state health department and the central government has also sent a team of doctors to Gorakhpur.