Trader’s death: Congress leader takes dig at Rawat

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, January 13

Indira Hridayesh, Leader of the Opposition, today slammed the BJP led TS Rawat government for failing to provide financial assistance to the family of Prakash Pandey, who died on Tuesday. 

Pandey had allegedly consumed poison during a Janata Durbar held at the BJP office. The announcement was made by the District Magistrate after consulting the government. 

The District Magistrate is a representative of the Chief Minister. But, the government has “backtracked” on its decision to provide financial assistance to Pandey’s family.

“Pandey was a known supporter of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they should come to his aid,” said Hridayesh. 

On the issue of the deceased mentioning her name in a video that has surfaced, Indira said she did not know him.

Angry with the TS Rawat government for sitting on the construction of an ISBT in Haldwani, which was approved when the Congress government was in power, she said she would start a hunger strike from January 30. 

“They have stopped the work on the project, which was promised by me to people. If they do not start the work soon, I will sit on a hunger strike from January 30,” she said. 

The BJP government had recently decided to shift the project from the site earmarked by the Congress government on the pretext that the site was not suitable as it was being used as a burial ground. So far, the government has not been able to find a new site for the ISBT.