Panaji, May 12 (IANS): Amid the ongoing tussle in Goa between Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane over the death of 26 patients due to shortage of oxygen at a top government hospital, a ruling BJP MLA has demanded the latter's resignation and urged Sawant to take over the key portfolio.

Atanasio Monserrate also said that Rane had behaved "irresponsibly" as Health Minister and his request to the Bombay High Court on Wednesday to probe the death of the hospital patients between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning was tantamount to shirking of responsibility.

"CM distributes the portfolio. What stops the CM from keep that (health) portfolio with him until the crisis gets over. There can only be one captain of the ship, there cannot be two captains," he told reporters here.

While Sawant has maintained that the deaths occurred due to mismanagement, Rane has insisted that the death occurred due to lack of oxygen supply to the hospital and has urged the Bombay High Court to probe the issue. Monserrate, however, claimed that Rane is allegedly shirking responsibility for the deaths, because they occurred on his watch as Health Minister.

"You should address the issue, rather than asking the HC to probe it. Is the Minister sleeping during this hour (2 a.m. to 6 a.m.) in la la land?" Monserrate asked, adding that Sawant was kept in the dark over the alleged mismanagement at the top government hospital by the Health Ministry.

"I have written to the CM to call for a party MLAs meeting. I want to have a face to face with those who have murdered people," Monserrate said. He also said that accountability for the deaths should be fixed on the person responsible for them, for the sake of the kin and relatives of patients who died due to lack of oxygen.