Bhopal, Oct. 1 -- Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla has sparked controversy by denying any link between contaminated cough syrup and the deaths of six children in Chhindwara district.

Despite ongoing investigations, Shukla stated that preliminary findings show no contamination in the syrup, claiming, "These deaths did not occur due to the cough syrup for sure," ahead of the examination report, with samples sent to laboratories in Nagpur and Pune for analysis.

Reacting to the issue, Health Minister Shukla told reporters, "The Health Department team has kept an eye on the matter and the situation is under control. The report of those children who died have been sent to ICMR (Indian Council of Medical...