3 min readBhopalFeb 20, 2026 08:24 PM IST
Madhya Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday claimed moral responsibility for the water contamination incident in Indore’s Bhagirathpura locality.
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He said the incident was a “stain” on Indore’s image, even as he defended the state government’s response and said action had already been taken against erring officials.
“This incident has happened, and it is very unfortunate. It is certainly a stain on Indore, which is consistently making its mark across the country for its cleanliness,” Vijayvargiya told the House.
Between December 24, 2025, and January 6 this year, over 23 people died after allegedly drinking contaminated water in Bhagirathpura.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar had pressed the government on accountability. “Officials were removed, some were suspended. But the government, the Chief Minister, neither took responsibility nor removed the Urban Administration Minister,” Singhar said.
Responding directly, Vijayvargiya said, “Honourable Chairman, I am taking the responsibility.”
He also made controversial remarks about the ground situation in Bhagirathpura, saying, “In every sense, there are some uneducated people living there, making it difficult for the Municipal Corporation to do even the slightest work. Even Municipal Corporation employees were unable to perform their duties properly.”
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Defending Indore’s civic record, Vijayvargiya said attacks on the city’s cleanliness ranking were deeply hurtful to him. “Indore is deeply ingrained in my being. I don’t just consider it Indore, I love the city like my mother. When someone defames Indore, it hurts me deeply,” he said. Referring to allegations about cleanliness awards, he said, “It was alleged that Indore’s first-place cleanliness award was obtained through a false certificate. This isn’t a defamation of Kailash Vijayvargiya or the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
“I feel that the city’s reputation has been tarnished, and I’m deeply moved by this. We’ve put a lot of effort into building this city, but we’re saddened by the stain that’s been placed on it, and people have deliberately tried to do so,” the minister said.
Formally acknowledging lapses, Vijayvargiya said, “I want to request that we acknowledge that the incident occurred. We also accept that it was caused by negligence. The Chief Minister punished those who acted negligently, and we have learned a lesson from this.”
Responding to the adjournment motion moved by the Opposition, he told the House, “This is a lesson for us. We are bearing our wounds, we are not flaunting them, we are trying to heal them, and we are confident that this stain placed on Indore will be washed away.” He added, “Indore will rise once again, and Indore will say, ‘Yes, we are Indoreans, we are proud of our city.’ Mr Speaker, I definitely want to assure you of this much.”
