BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday expressed regret at losing his cool at a journalist who had asked him tough questions on the diarrhoea deaths in Indore, India’s cleanest city for the last few years according to the central government’s survey.
A clip of the exchange between NDTV reporter Anurag Dwary and Vijayvargiya, Madhya Pradesh’s urban development and housing minister, was widely circulated on social media after the journalist posted it on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
It drew widespread reactions and praise for the reporter’s unflinching stance.
Dwary had questioned why responsibility for the deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area were being discussed only for junior officials and not for senior leaders.
The reporter asked whether, as the urban administration minister and the area’s legislator, responsibility also lay with Vijayvargiya and water resources minister Tulsi Silawat, who was seated next to the chief minister.
The issue of families of hospitalised patients not receiving reimbursement for medical expenses was also raised.
When pressed on these questions, Vijayvargiya responded sharply, saying, “...Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”
The reporter persisted, pointing out that families were struggling with medical bills and had not received reimbursements.
The minister lost his temper.
In the video, he was heard saying, “Chodo yaar, phokat prashn mat puchiye (leave it, don’t ask useless questions),” and later uttered the word “ghanta”.
The journalist objected, telling the minister to mind his language: “Kailash ji baat theek se kijiye… Ye kya shabd hota hai. Itne senior mantri hai, baat karne ki tameez nahi hai.”
As the controversy escalated, Vijayvargiya expressed regret over his remarks.
“My team and I have been continuously working to improve the situation in the affected area without sleep for the past two days,” he wrote on X.
“My people are suffering from contaminated water, and some have left us; in this state of deep sorrow, my words came out wrong in response to a media question. For this, I express my regret. But until my people are completely safe and healthy, I will not sit quietly,” he said.
The Opposition demanded the minister’s resignation.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari shared the video on social media, claiming that “deaths due to toxic water in Indore had risen from eight to 10,” and accused BJP leaders of arrogance.
He demanded that chief minister Mohan Yadav seek Vijayvargiya’s resignation on moral grounds.
The CM described the diarrhoea outbreak caused by contaminated drinking water in the Bhagirathpura area as an “emergency-like situation” and assured strict action against those responsible.
Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee also lauded the journalist, posting on X: “Well done @Anurag_Dwary. India needs more people like you—committed, courageous and sincere. Now more than ever!”
In Bhagirathpura, a densely populated locality in Indore, families claim at least eight people have died after consuming the water, while the official death count has varied.
Health department data cited four deaths, with 212 patients hospitalised and 50 discharged after recovery.
Vijayvargiya later on Wednesday said: “1400–1500 people were affected. 198 were hospitalised, and two more have been hospitalised today. A few have been discharged after treatment. All responsible authorities are at work, and we are providing health facilities and monitoring those affected. A team of dedicated doctors is on duty. Four people have died as per government data, but upon arriving here, I learned the toll has risen to 8–9.”