The Aam Aadmi Party accused Gujarat’s administration of negligence after at least 24 security and cultural contingent members rehearsing for Rashtriya Ekta Diwas were hospitalised with dengue in Gandhinagar, turning a patriotic showcase planned for 31 October into a state-health controversy.
Senior medical officers said dozens more personnel remained under observation after presenting with fever, joint pain and muscle aches over 48 hours. Thirty-four individuals were brought to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital on Thursday alone, with 23 confirmed dengue cases by that evening and additional admissions on Friday.
Who was affected
The patients are mostly young adults aged 25 to 30 drawn from contingents across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. They share accommodation at a large hostel complex while preparing for the parade at Ekta Nagar. Health officials have not formally blamed the quarters, but epidemiologists note that dense dormitory living speeds Aedes mosquito transmission when breeding sites are nearby.
AAP leader Gauri Desai visited the civil hospital and criticised the state for “grand claims” about cleanliness while jawans fell ill. She alleged poor nutrition for admitted personnel, citing biscuit packets instead of hot meals—claims the administration has not fully rebutted in public statements reviewed by InfoHandle.
Political timing
Gujarat will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Unity Day event, a high-visibility calendar item. Opposition parties are using the outbreak to question public-health preparedness in the capital region, especially after monsoon rains left stagnant water in construction zones tied to parade infrastructure.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government has emphasised that treatment is underway and that the parade schedule remains intact. Health department bulletins have not yet published ward-by-ward fogging data for the hostel vicinity, leaving local reporters to rely on hospital intake numbers.
What happens next
Officials are expected to expand screening across rehearsal camps and deploy vector-control teams before more contingents arrive. For the Centre, the episode is a reminder that national events depend on mundane sanitation work—not just choreography. For voters, it reframes Unity Day prep as a test of whether Gujarat can protect guests it invites to celebrate national integration.
Local councillors asked the Gandhinagar municipal corporation to publish fogging maps for wards surrounding the rehearsal campus. Epidemiologists said cluster investigations typically take seven to ten days when multiple states share quarters, a timeline that now overlaps with arriving contingents.
The Union home ministry, which coordinates Unity Day logistics, has not issued a detailed public statement on health protocols beyond routine advisories sent to participating states each year. BJP spokespersons in Gandhinagar emphasised that hospital care remains free for admitted personnel.