Lucknow, Aug 23 (IANS): Samajwadi Party MLC, Sunil Kumar Sajan, has alleged that UP minister and former cricketer Chetan Chauhan, who succumbed to Covid-19 in a Gurugram hospital, died due to carelessness in his treatment earlier at the state-run Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) here.

Sajan raised the issue in the UP Vidhan Parishad on Saturday and his recorded speech has been put on the social media.

The upper house member, who was also admitted to SGPGIMS with corona at the same time as Chetan Chauhan, said in the house: "Once during a round, a doctor and a nurse asked 'Who is Chetan?', to which the minister raised his hand since he was a simple person. He was asked as to when he got infected with the virus, to which he explained the entire matter to the hospital staff. At that time, another personnel asked Chauhan what do you do, to which he said he is a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government."

"When I could not control my anger, I told the doctor that Chauhan had played cricket for India, to which the doctor said 'Oh, he is that Chetan'. After this, the doctor and the other staff left."

Chauhan, 73, who was admitted to the SGPGIMS after he tested positive for Covid-19, was shifted to the Medanta hospital in Haryana's Gurugram when his condition deteriorated.

The cricketer-turned-politician died last week due to Covid-related complications, after being put on life support for nearly 36 hours.

Contacted for comment, SGPGIMS Director, Dr R.K. Dhiman, expressed surprise at Sajan's statement.

"During treatment, I had spoken to Chauhan a number of times, but he never brought up the incident. He went to the Medanta hospital in Gurugram citing family reasons. If there were any complaints, it should have been conveyed. The incident will be probed," he said.

Meanwhile, SP President Akhilesh Yadav tweeted: "While comparing the so-called better preparations for Covid-19 to that of the USA, the UP Chief Minister had forgotten the kind of behaviour his cabinet colleague Chetan Chauhan experienced at a government hospital."