Gadag, Aug 16, (DHNS) : Minister for Health and Family Welfare B Sriramulu has strongly criticised AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi’s interactions with college students during his visit to various colleges in the State. 

Speaking with mediapersons here on Sunday, he said by holding such interactions with students, the Congress was trying to ‘Congressify’ the colleges. Last year, the BJP had organised a programme to create awareness among youth on terrorism, as part of Vivekananda Jayanthi celebrations in schools and colleges. The Opposition then had accused the BJP of saffronising all the schools and colleges. The Congress has doing the same now, he asserted.

“Rahul Gandhi is not Abdul Kalam. How can he interact when he is still learning politics,” Sriramulu said.

On the notice issued by the High Court to the Health Department on its failure to contain the spread of epidemics in the State, Sriramulu said he will give a suitable reply.

High-level committees are being formed to supervise the situation. So far, information on patients who are admitted to only Government Hospitals was available. Henceforth, information on the patients who are admitted to private hospitals undergoing treatment for contagious diseases will also be made available, the Health minister said. Also, the Government was planning to install a toll-free number to provide information and awareness on epidemics among the citizens, as precautionary measure, the minister added.