Congress protests Bihar girl’s death due to negligence

Patna

 For the second day in a row, the Bihar Congress staged statewide protests demanding the resignation of State Health Minister Mangal Pandey over the death of a 10-year-old Dalit rape survivor, who allegedly died due to medical negligence at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

State Congress president Rajesh Ram accused hospital authorities of gross inhumanity, claiming the child was left in an ambulance with a non-functional AC for four hours before being admitted. “Only after our intervention did the hospital admit her—this is criminal negligence,” he said.

Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, condemned the state administration, alleging caste-based bias in government responses. “When the accused belongs to the ruling party’s caste, cases are downplayed,” he alleged, adding, “Doctors and the administration acted like executioners.”

All India Congress Committee in-charge for Bihar, Krishna Allavaru, said the incident exposed the hollowness of the state government’s claims of good governance. “The system failed the child at every level—police, medical, and administrative,” he said.

Congress leaders clashed with Patna police near PMCH and other protest sites, attempting to breach barricades. The party vowed to continue its agitation until accountability is fixed. The victim was raped on May 25 in a village under Kurhani block. The accused was arrested and booked under the POCSO Act and murder charges. Congress has held the “double engine” BJP-JD(U) government responsible for the failure.