Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Wednesday said people criticising the government seem to forget that the citizens have civic responsibilities too. In an apparent bid to deflect accusations of poor administration in connection with a large number of deaths at a state hospital, the chief minister said people will soon leave their children in the government’s care.

The chief minister’s comments come at a time when the Opposition has been demanding his resignation over the children’s deaths at Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital. On Wednesday, the principal of BRD Medical College and Hospital, which falls under the chief minister’s constituency of Gorakhpur, had said that 290 children died at the facility in August alone.

“I sometimes feel that after some time, as soon as their children become one-or-two-years-old, people will leave them for the government, so that the government takes care of them,” Adityanath told a gathering at a start-up Yatra. “People keep cows at home, sell the milk, but leave it on the streets for the government to take care of. We have forced all our responsibilities on the government.”

Congress MP Raj Babbar rebuked the chief minister over his statements, and said it was heartbreaking for parents who have lost their children at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Gorakhpur Anti-Corruption court sentenced suspended principal of the BRD Medical College and Hospital RK Mishra and his wife Poornima to 14 days in judicial custody, ANI reported.