Ahead of Congress Vice-President’s visit to Gorakhpur on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Saturday said he would not let the area become a picnic spot for “a prince from Delhi”, ANI reported.

After launching a cleanliness campaign in Andhiyari Bagh, he said that “a prince sitting in Delhi” will not understand the importance of cleanliness, and so Gorakhpur would become a picnic spot for them.

More than 70 children have died since August 7 at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur. They died of several causes, including encephalitis and lack of oxygen. Gandhi is expected to visit some families of the children who died in the hospital on Saturday.

Adityanath said that with encephalitis, prevention was always better than cure, and that can only start with good hygiene and sanitation. He also blamed previous governments for corruption and said that they had deprived people of many facilities.