Priyanka slams UP govt over high COVID-19 mortality rate in Agra

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday attacked the Uttar Pradesh government over the high COVID-19 mortality rate in Agra, saying Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should clarify within 48 hours who was responsible for "pushing people into these adverse circumstances".

Tagging a media report, Priyanka Gandhi said the novel coronavirus death rate in Agra was 6.8 per cent, which was higher than Delhi and Mumbai.

Of the 79 patients who lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Agra, about "35 per cent -- 28 people -- died within 48 hours of hospitalisation", the Congress general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh said.

"Who is responsible for spreading the lie of 'Agra model' and pushing people into these adverse circumstances?" she asked.

"The chief minister should clarify this to the public within 48 hours and fix accountability for the manipulation of the situation and number of COVID-19 patients being carried out," Priyanka Gandhi said.

She had also attacked the BJP government on Monday over the reported death of 28 COVID-19 patients within 48 hours of hospitalisation, saying if the Adityanath dispensation continues with its "negligence", it will be dangerous.

Terming it "misleading and false", the Agra administration has asked Priyanka Gandhi to withdraw the claim regarding coronavirus deaths in the district within 24 hours.

"The reality is that in the past 109 days, Agra has reported 1,139 cases, of which 79 have succumbed to the virus.

The report of 28 deaths in 48 hours is completely false," District Magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh had said.