MUMBAI: Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress on Sunday said the Maharashtra cabinet should resign based on the "confession" by state health minister Tanaji Sawant on the responsibility regarding the death of patients at two state-run hospitals.
The Congress also demanded a white paper on the public health system in the state to identify the cause of deaths at government hospitals in Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
"If the health minister feels the entire cabinet is responsible, it should resign. Our state is going backwards because of such dirty politics," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said on X and tagged a video clip of Tanaji Sawant.
The comment of the minister is the height of shamelessness, he alleged.
As many as 31 patients, including infants, died at the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Nanded in 48 hours since September 30, while the death of 18 patients was recorded at the Government Medical College and Hospital at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar between October 2 and 3.
Last month, 18 patients died in 24 hours in a public hospital in Thane.
Demanding a white paper on the state health system, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat also referred to the remarks purportedly made by Sawant and demanded his resignation.
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad said based on Sawant's "confession", the cabinet should tender resignation.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thorat said, "white paper on the public health system and machinery should be published so that people will know the truth".
"The health minister says his department is not responsible but the collective responsibility lies with the state cabinet. The minister should resign," Thorat added.
The former minister said government hospitals in Maharashtra have done good work in the treatment of poor people.
"The same health machinery worked day and night to save patients during the COVID-19 pandemic because the intentions of the previous government were genuine. What has happened in the last year that the health system has failed?" he asked.
Thorat further said the government should make state-run hospitals financially viable.
"The enquiry committee constituted by the government has made some inferences which are not agreeable and the high court has to intervene," the Congress leader said referring to the Bombay HC taking suo motu cognisance of the deaths at two hospitals in Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Meanwhile, Gaikwad said shirking the responsibility and passing on the blame among themselves is the characteristic of the state (Shiv Sena-BJP-Ajit Pawar faction) government.
"Finally, after lying for over a year, someone managed to tell the truth. Mumbai Congress was seeking the resignations of two ministers, but their own Health Minister is confessing the entire cabinet of ministers is responsible. Congress demands that the whole cabinet should tender the resignation," Gaikwad said in a statement.
She stated that if the health minister is not taking any blame on himself, the chief minister (Eknath Shinde) and both deputy chief ministers (Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar) should take the lead and dissolve the cabinet.
"Even after over 50 deaths, if the health minister is blaming the entire cabinet, then they should come forward and resign on their own," Gaikwad added.