Kafeel Khan, the doctor at the heart of what is known as the Gorakhpur oxygen tragedy, has joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) and is the party’s nominee for a seat in the upper house- the Vidhan Parishad.
In doing so, Khan has drawn the ire of many of his well-wishers, including the media which has written in his support rigorously. He realises the tricky path he has chosen and said, “If I do wrong, please do criticise me. It will help me learn.”
Ever since Khan was released from Mathura jail in September 2020, the Congress has been supporting him, Yet the party did not offer him any political post. In fact, speculation was rife that he would (or someone from his family would) fight the 2019 Lok Sabha election on a SP ticket. The entire family denied it.
Khan says that while he still cannot say with clarity why he said yes to the offer. He knows that the coming five years (with Yogi Adityanath at the helm) will be difficult for him.
“I am without a job. Under my Smile Foundation, I want to use crowdsourcing to build a hospital that will serve children suffering from chamki bukhar and Japanese encephalitis from Nepal and India,” he said.
By becoming a politician, Khan risks losing the media support he has always enjoyed as a man perceived to have been wronged by a system. As a politician, he will receive far more criticism than praise. “Even as an MLC if you don’t see me treating children, question me. But give me a chance,” he said.
His own family is not on board with the decision. He, however, said that it was one which had to be taken because ground realities were very challenging. Being out of a job has put great emotional and financial stress on the family. They had to resort to the selling of household items to make ends meet at one time.
Khan also realises that his dream project- a hospital to treat children, will not be possible without the support of the government. A government that has targeted him relentlessly. “The day you feel I am doing wrong ask me, tell me off,” he said to this reporter.
The SP is fielding 16 candidates in the MLC elections to be held in May. In this list, 13 are Yadav candidates. There are 100 seats in the UP Vidhan Parishad.
