Namakkal (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 10 (ANI): AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government for its 'negligence' after 20 deaths of 20 children in Madhya Pradesh due to taking Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, a Kanchipuram-based company.

Palaniswami's statement comes after Madhya Pradesh Police arrested the owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals from Tamil Nadu.

'A cough syrup manufacturing company in Kanchipuram have produced a product that has been sold in Madhya Pradesh, where 20 children died. The Tamil Nadu Government and its health department don't even know about this company, which manufactures cold syrup. It shows how this government cares for the people,' he said.

Referring to the remarks of Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Public Health and Medical Education, Narendra Shivaji Patel, who blamed the Tamil Nadu government for the deaths, Palaniswami questioned the state government over the negligence.

'Today, a Madhya Pradesh Minister says it's due to Tamil Nadu Government health department negligence, that such a tragic incident has happened. Madhya Pradesh police came here and arrested the person, and then only the Tamil Nadu Government came to know about it. Should this misery continue?' he said.

Speaking to ANI, Madhya Pradesh Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel had said, 'The Tamil Nadu government's system is responsible for it, but the media has not highlighted this accountability as much as it should have. Because the Madhya Pradesh government officials are not as responsible in this as the Tamil Nadu government system,' Patel said.

Earlier, BJP leader K. Annamalai also fired shots at the state government over the same issue. He called on the Tamil Nadu government to take responsibility and conduct a thorough review of similar pharmaceutical companies to prevent any further such incidents.

BJP leader K. Annamalai, while talking to ANI, said, 'It's a shameful incident for a state like Tamil Nadu, in which we have a lot of great pharmaceutical companies. A company like this, based in Kanchipuram, is now coming to light, with more than 364 violations found at various points in time. Still, this company was allowed to function; it was still allowed to export medicines to different parts of our country.'

He stated, 'I personally believe the Tamil Nadu government should take responsibility because this company was operating right under noses. The CM should make a statement to review the whole process and make sure all companies of this nature undergo a quality audit within the next 15 days. This will help ensure that any medicine produced in Tamil Nadu does not harm anyone...'

Madhya Pradesh police have arrested S Ranganathan, the owner of the Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceuticals company that manufactured the Coldrif cough syrup linked to 20 children's deaths. (ANI)

Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla on Wednesday informed that 20 children have died in Madhya Pradesh after consuming the Coldrif cough syrup; meanwhile, five are undergoing treatment.Of these 20 children, 17 are from Chhindwara district, two from Betul district, and one is from Pandhurna district. (ANI)