jammu:The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP launched a scathing attack on the National Conference-led government in the Union Territory on Wednesday for its “inaction” over the “mysterious” deaths of 13 people, including 11 children, in a remote village in Rajouri district.
It urged the Centre to rush experts to properly investigate the cause of the fatalities in Badhaal village of Kotranka Sub-Division over the last month and a half.
“The mysterious deaths in the village in Rajouri is a cause of concern for everyone and shows the (Chief Minister) Omar Abdullah-led government’s apathy and failure to address the crisis-like situation,” Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Tahir Choudhary told reporters at the party headquarters here.
He accused the government of not taking any concrete steps or on-ground measures to tackle the situation.
Calling for immediate intervention, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader appealed to the Centre to deploy a team of experts to collect samples from villages, water sources and local markets in Rajouri.
He also urged police to initiate a probe to rule out any potential foul play contributing to the deaths.
“The Omar Abdullah-led administration has failed to prioritise the health and safety of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Such negligence is unacceptable and the government must take immediate responsibility to ensure that this crisis is brought under control,” Choudhary said.
Thirteen people, including 11 children, have died in Badhaal (eight in December and five this month). The victims hailed from three families that live in close vicinity and are related to each other.
Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakeena Masood said on Wednesday that the deaths were not caused by any mysterious disease as tests conducted both within and outside the Union Territory have returned negative results.
“The health department could not find any disease, virus or infection that caused the deaths,” the minister, who visited the village last month to take stock of the situation, said.
She said the real cause of the deaths is a matter of investigation. The victims were not suffering from any illness or infection, the minister added.