Bhopal:The Chhindwara Chemist Association has launched an indefinite strike starting midnight to protest the sealing of five chemist shops linked to the Coldrif cough syrup controversy. The association called the shop closures unfair and unjust, insisting that liability should lie with the manufacturers and approving laboratories, not local chemists who merely sold the product. For the unversed, the Coldrif cough syrup tragedy that has claimed the lives of at least 20 children across Madhya Pradesh, allegedly due to diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination. The syrup, manufactured by Chennai-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, was found to contain toxic industrial-grade chemicals instead of pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. Following the deaths, multiple states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, banned the product, and law enforcement agencies initiated raids and arrests linked to the manufacturer and supply chain. Lately, the Association has appealed to authorities to unseal the shops and commit to more equitable enforcement. "We are going on strike starting midnight in protest after five chemist shops, which have been sealed and served a showcause notice. We are not objecting to the investigation, and samples should be collected. However, we do not agree with the sealing of chemist shops. Action should be taken against the medicine producers and labs that pass them," Chore told ANI. Santosh Chore, President of the Chemist Association, clarified that while members support the sample collection and investigation drives, “penalising chemists for actions beyond their control is unacceptable.” He demanded the immediate release of the five shop owners and urged a revision of investigation protocols, especially given that many shopkeepers are unable to clean or prep their premises ahead of Diwali. "Today samples are being taken from our shops, we are not able to do our business and nor we are able to clean our shops for Diwali, our chemist shops are living under fear. We want the authorities to release five chemist owners and demand a change in investigation standards," Chore added. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla confirmed the tragic toll of the controversy: 20 children have died from consuming Coldrif syrup. Of these, 17 were from Chhindwara, two from Betul, and one from Pandhurna. He added that police teams have been dispatched to Chennai and Kancheepuram to apprehend those responsible for manufacturing the syrup, and that all possible efforts were being made to save the children under treatment. "I met five children who are undergoing treatment in Nagpur, two at Government Medical College, two at AIIMS and one in a private hospital and their families. The management and doctors are making all efforts to save the lives of children undergoing treatment," Shukla was quoted as saying by theRepublic World. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that the Madhya Pradesh government will cover the full cost of treatment for nine children undergoing care in Nagpur for kidney infections linked to the contaminated cough syrup. A joint team of executive magistrates and doctors has been stationed in Nagpur to oversee medical arrangements and ensure continuous health monitoring of the affected children, the Chief Minister’s Office stated on X.