Gorakhpur: Following the Uttar Pradesh election results, polling for 36 seats of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council is scheduled to be held in 35 local bodies on April 9 while counting of votes will take place on April 12. Samajwadi Party has announced Dr. Kafeel Khan as the party's MLC candidate who is likely to be fielded from the Devariya-Kushinagar seat.
Khan, who was posted at the BRD hospital Gorakhpur at the time, hit the headlines after 63 infants died at the hospital in August 2017 allegedly due to a shortage of medical oxygen. Khan, who alleged that the deaths occurred because the government had failed to pay the medical supplier, was arrested by the Yogi Adityanath government and charged with medical negligence, was acquitted by the court. In November last year, the UP government terminated his service.
In an interview with ETV Bharat, Dr. Kafeel Khan talked about his profession as a medical doctor and the latest switch to Samajwadi Party. He also said that he went to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav yesterday and gifted him a book written on the tragedy at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in 2017. On this occasion, a detailed discussion was held with Akhilesh Yadav, Khan said.
"He (Akhilesh) asked how he could help me. I replied that I live in a border area and want a hospital to be built there so that the poor and helpless people can get treatment," Khan said. ''I told him about my future plan related to social cause after which Akhilesh said that if I become politically strong and go among the people, I could serve the people in a better way and said he wished me to participate in the MLC elections which we have agreed to,'' added Khan. "This is the beginning of my political journey and I hope to be able to serve the people better," he said.
Khan said he had always been honest in his profession and has always served people as duty and will continue to do so. In response to a question to his meeting with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, he said that he was “grateful to Congress party especially Priyanka for her strong support and cooperation” during his release from jail and for providing him the security and accommodation in Jaipur. His family still lives there.
Before the Assembly elections 2022, there was a lot of speculation and rumors that Dr. Kafeel might be a candidate from Congress, which did not happen. “It was just a rumor. Whenever I met or talked to Priyanka Gandhi, it was only about non-political issues. Political issues were never discussed with her,” said Dr. Kafeel Khan.
Also read: Dr Kafeel Khan loses job over death of 63 kids; doctor to move court against UP govt
