The Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed on Thursday (November 28, 2024) that 886 students fell ill and case of food poisoning were reported from 38 residential schools after the Congress government came to power in the state, reflecting the level of “apathy and indifference”.

At a press conference held at the State Office, General Secretary K. Venkateshwarlu and others said it was “shameful” that ruling party bigwigs blamed the opposition for the incessant incidents of food poisoning among students.

51 student deaths

He claimed that a total of 51 students had died in the past year, four of them due to food poisoning14 for health reasons, 10 under suspicious circumstances and 23 others for other reasons. The government was put to sleep by The High Court which had to make serious comments in order to actargued the BJP leader.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy holds the key portfolios of Home, Social Welfare, Education, Municipal Administration and others, but he was busy campaigning in Maharashtra for the Assembly elections or carrying out his regular tours to Delhi without reviewing the functioning of the departments concerned, transforming welfare homes into dangerous places. There have been at least three cases of food poisoning in Narayanpet district belonging to the Chief Minister, Venkateshwarlu said.

He accused the government of shielding “corrupt” education officials and failing to take action against those responsible for these lapses and questioned the “silence” of intellectuals like MLC Kodandaram and A. Murali on these questions.

The BJP leader slammed former BRS minister KT Rama Rao, saying the situation in welfare hostels was not better under his government when students complained of being fed infested produce of worms. The management of the BRS car was in the hands of the Congress Party and the two had some kind of understanding which prevented Mr. Revanth Reddy from taking action against the “corruption” of the previous government, he added.