Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Public Health and Family Welfare Narendra Shivaji Patel on 8 October 2025 held the Tamil Nadu government responsible for the deaths of 20 children in his state due to kidney infections caused by consumption of an allegedly contaminated cough syrup.
Addressing PTI Videos, Patel said the southern state showed “grave negligence” as it was responsible for inspecting medicines manufactured and dispatched from Tamil Nadu. He added that while the MP government randomly inspects medicines entering the state, it was “by chance” that this particular stock of cough syrup went untested.
The Tamil Nadu government banned the sale of the cough syrup ‘Coldrif’ from 1 October 2025 and ordered removal of stocks from the market. The syrup, linked to the deaths, was manufactured by a company based in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. On 4 October 2025, the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department declared that samples collected from the manufacturing facility in Sunguvarchatram, Kancheepuram, were “adulterated,” and instructed the company to halt production immediately.
Patel emphasised the responsibility of Tamil Nadu authorities in issuing licences and inspecting medicines. “A Certificate of Analysis (COA) certificate is required to be issued for every batch of medicine produced. Where did the Tamil Nadu government go wrong? Whether a COA certificate was issued or not? Which official made the mistake is a matter of investigation. The Tamil Nadu government has shown grave negligence in how such medicines came out of their state,” he said.
“We randomly inspect medicines that come into our state. By chance, these medicines were not tested. We seriously inspect medicines manufactured here,” Patel added.
He further stated that the Tamil Nadu government’s negligence directly contributed to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh. “We are writing to the central government and the state (Tamil Nadu) government to take strict action against the culprits,” he said. Patel also confirmed that the MP government had taken action against the pharmaceutical factory owner and that the state police had visited Tamil Nadu as part of the investigation.
Speaking about preventive measures, Patel said the state is increasing the number of testing laboratories and will also conduct tests in private labs to speed up the process. Commenting on another substandard medicine originating from a factory in Gujarat, he said, “We are also writing letters to the governments in the states from where the substandard medicines came.”
On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s likely visit to Chhindwara to meet the families of deceased children, Patel alleged, “The government in Tamil Nadu is running with the support of the Congress. Rahul Gandhi should question his party’s alliance partner as to why this (tragedy) happened. I smell a conspiracy in this if the Congress is politicising this issue.”
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who oversees the health portfolio, said 20 children have died following consumption of the cough syrup, while five others remain in critical condition.
Reacting to Patel’s statement, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh blamed the food and drug department for “poor administration,” claiming it led to the children’s deaths. “Firstly, drug controllers and inspectors are responsible for conducting sample surveys every month, but this was not done. Diethylene glycol should not exceed 0.1 per cent in the drug, but it was 48.6 per cent in the syrup. What were the drug inspectors and controllers doing here?” he asked.
Singh also criticised Deputy CM Shukla for allegedly giving the Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company a “clean chit” even before the investigation concluded. “Besides, when information about the incident came to light, how did the Deputy Chief Minister (Rajendra Shukla) give a clean chit on the first day? On what basis did he give the clean chit? This is the biggest mistake. Had the drug inspectors and controllers performed their duties properly and conducted investigations, this incident would not have occurred,” Singh said.
On the MP minister blaming Tamil Nadu, Singh said, “I am not aware of the Tamil Nadu government. I have been told that permission has to be obtained from the Central government.”
When asked about CM Mohan Yadav’s statement that the Opposition should not politicise the issue and instead provide constructive suggestions, Singh responded, “We are not playing any politics. Take action against the culprits. How did the deputy CM give a clean chit? Accept his resignation. If the mistake was committed, what action did you take?”
(With inputs from The Week)
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