Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tonight insisted that oxygen shortage did not lead to the death of 30 children in a government hospital in Gorakhpur, his home district.

He told a hurriedly-convened press conference here that a committee led by the chief secretary will probe the entire matter related to the tragic deaths.

“It is a very emotional matter for me as I have been raising the issue of encephalitis since long,” he said, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed concern.

The government will take action on the report of the magisterial inquiry which will be received soon, Adityanath said, promising that no one will be allowed to go scot free and stern action will be taken against those responsible.

On reports that oxygen shortage had caused the deaths, he said if it were the case, it would have been a “heinous act“.

The chief minister said he had asked the officials during his August 9 meeting about the issues such as encephalitis, dengue, kala-azar, swine flu and chikunguniya besides what all they required.

But, the matter relating to oxygen supply was not brought to his notice, he said.

“In my personal interaction with officials, the principal of the BRD medical college and in-charge of paediatric ward, I had asked if anything was required from the government but there was no discussion on oxygen,” Adityanath said.

The chief minister addressed the press conference after holding an emergency meeting with senior officials and two senior ministeral colleagues he had sent to Gorakhpur earlier in the day to look into the matter.

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