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SP pins blame on Centre for death of scribe covering water train spat
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday blamed the Centre for the death of a journalist, who was electrocuted on Monday while trying to take photographs of the water train parked at Jhansi railway station.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday blamed the Centre for the death of a journalist, who was electrocuted on Monday while trying to take photographs of the water train parked at Jhansi railway station.
According to reports, Indian Express photo journalist Ravi Kanojia had climbed atop the wagon of a water train to check the quality of water, but was electrocuted on the spot when he came in contact with the high voltage wire above.
Read: Photojournalist electrocuted while taking pictures of water train in UP
“Yesterday, a journalist who came to click pictures of water train got electrocuted at the spot. The government of India is responsible for this.The Centre’s political drama in Uttar Pradesh is for everyone to see. A water train has been stationed in Jhansi for the past one week,” SP’s Chandrapal Singh said in the Rajya Sabha.
The 34-year-old photo journalist was on an assignment to cover the spat between the Centre and the Akhilesh Yadav-led Uttar Pradesh Government over the water crisis in Bundelkhand.
Meanwhile, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav expressed his condolences over the scribe’s death and announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the victim’s family.
Read: Akhilesh seeks Rs 11,000 cr from Centre to meet drought situation in UP
Read: Modi directs providing of immediate assistance to drought-hit UP
Earlier, the Centre had ordered the Indian Railways to send 10-wagon water train to Bundelkhand region to provide relief from drought-like situation. The state government, however, has said the situation in Bundelkhand is ‘not as serious’ as in Maharashtra’s Latur and claimed that it had enough resources to tackle the crisis.
The UP government also reportedly said that they had instead requested the Centre to provide 10,000 empty road tankers.
