Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday spoke with the father of the 28-year-old party worker Prabhat Pandey, who allegedly died during a Congress-led protest in Lucknow after a scuffle with the police.
Rahul Gandhi offered condolences over the party worker’s unfortunate death and assured support to his family as he spoke to his father Deepak Pandey over phone call. The Congress leader expressed his desire to meet the worker’s family and said, “In this moment of sorrow, the Gandhi family and the Congress party stand with your family.”
“Prabhat’s family is my family; I am your brother and will always stand by you. If you need anything just let the party know…,” Rahul Gandhi added.
When Rahul Gandhi asked Prabhat’s father how his son died, he said that he has no information about it. “We had been trying to get in touch with him since 1 PM but he was not picking up the phone. After 5 PM someone picked up his phone and informed us that he was lying unconscious…Later we were informed by the Civil Hospital that Prabhat had passed away…,” he said.
Prabhat, a native of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly brought dead to the Civil Hospital in Hazratganj from the Congress office. DCP (Central Lucknow) Raveena Tyagi had said that he had no visible injuries when he was brought to the hospital at 5 PM on December 18.
Following the party worker’s death, Congress leader Ajay Rai blamed “police brutality” as the reason behind his passing and demanded that the UP government provide financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to the bereaved family and a government job to one of the family members as compensation.
Later, the UP Police issued a statement, responding to the allegations made by the Congress, stressing that they did not use force against any demonstrator. The police also warned the party against spreading false information and urged the citizens to rely only on official sources for any information regarding the incident.
“A case of murder under relevant sections has been registered at Hussainganj police station in connection with the incident that happened with Prabhat Kumar Pandey at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Party office in Lucknow, based on the complaint provided by his uncle Manish Kumar Pandey. It has been alleged that the deceased was unconscious at the party office for 2 hours after which he was taken to the civil hospital in a car – where he was declared brought dead by the doctors,” DCP Tyagi said.Â
Police on Friday sealed room number 30 of the Congress party office in Lucknow in connection with the death of Prabhat Pandey.
#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: Police have sealed room number 30 of the Congress party office in Lucknow in connection with the death of Congress worker Prabhat Pandey
Prabhat Pandey, a native of Gorakhpur, died allegedly during a Congress protest in Lucknow on December 18.… pic.twitter.com/BClrXvRFi0
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) December 20, 2024
