The family members of Prakash Pandey, a transporter who committed suicide on Jaunary 9 by consuming poison over repayment of loans, have started a sit-in protest in Haldwani from Friday.
Pandey’s family members are demanding that the state government compensate them and provide a job form Pandey’s wife.
The Congress leaders who have been supporting the transporter’s family members, however, are not participating in the protest, following state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Ajay Bhatt accused the party of instigating Pandey’s family members to sit on dharna.
Leader of opposition in the state assembly Indira Hridyesh, said the Congress did not attend the dharna, but the party has been supporting the transporter’s family members and demanded compensation and a government job for the wife of the deceased.
On Saturday, Hridyesh and Haldwani district BJP chief Pradeep Bisht were involved in a heated argument in the assembly, each accusing the other for not helping the late transporter’s family members.
The issue has led to a political tussle between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress and is set to fare up further with the opposition blaming the government of being insensitive, saying that they will collect money through donations if the government fails to do so.
{{/usCountry}}The issue has led to a political tussle between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress and is set to fare up further with the opposition blaming the government of being insensitive, saying that they will collect money through donations if the government fails to do so.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP, however, said it is with the family members of the transporter, despite chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announcing that the government cannot give compensation to a person, who commits suicide.
State BJP general secretary Gajraj Singh Bisht said the party will extend all possible help to the family members, but it is not possible to officially give compensation.
Reacting to Brisht’s comment, Hridyesh said the state government had earlier promised that it will give ₹10 lakh as compensation and a job to Pandey’s wife, but later the chief minister retracted, saying that the government cannot do so.
“Pandey’s family members had a February 10 dateline for the state government to compensate them, after which the government sought time until February 15,” she said.
“We did not join the dharna, as we have met the family member a number of times in the past and supported them.”
If the government does not extend any help to Pandey’s family members, then Congress party workers will collect money and provide a job in the private sector to the wife of the deceased transporter, she said.