On Wednesday, 18th December massive controversy erupted as Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed that two Congress workers were allegedly killed by the police during party’s protests in separate incidents in Uttar Pradesh and Assam. The Congress leaders mourned over the death of two workers and claimed that ‘excessive police force’ was the reason behind their deaths.
“Police brutality on Congress workers who were going to gherao the Vidhan Sabha against the misrule prevailing in Uttar Pradesh took the life of one of our workers. The death of Prabhat Pandey ji, a youth Congress worker from Gorakhpur is extremely heartbreaking. Similarly, the BJP government used batons and tear gas shells on the protesting Congress workers in Assam, in which Mridul Islam ji died. The way BJP governments have taken repressive action against Congress workers is reminiscent of the British Raj. BJP is attacking Baba Saheb in Parliament and crushing his Constitution on the streets,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in an X post.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi criticized the BJP leadership and said that the democracy had been murdered by PM Modi’s leadership. “Democracy and Constitution have been murdered again in BJP-ruled Assam and Uttar Pradesh. The Congress party is conducting satyagraha in support of Babasaheb and the Constitution across the country. During this, the death of our Congress workers Mridul Islam in Guwahati and Prabhat Pandey in Lucknow due to excessive police force is very sad and condemnable. I offer my deepest condolences to their grieving loved ones. These families deserve full justice. The lion of Congress will continue to fight for truth and the Constitution,” he said.
While the Congress leaders claimed that the workers especially Prabhat Pandey were allegedly killed by the police during the protests, an FIR report filed by Pandey’s family has come to the fore in which it has been mentioned that the deceased was unconscious in the Congress office two hours before his death. The report also stated that he was declared as ‘brought dead’ by the hospital staff.
Notably, the Lucknow police also commented on the matter and said that massive misinformation was being spread against the police regarding the death of the Congress worker. The police stated that the Congress worker was last seen in the Congress office and that he was brought dead to the hospital. It also added that there were no marks of external injuries on the body of the worker, who Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi claimed had died due to police beatings.
“The Congress worker Prabhat Pandey was shifted to the Civil Hospital where he was declared as already ‘brought dead’ by the doctors. He was last seen in the Congress office and was unconscious there for more than 2 hours. On the primary probe, no marks of external injury could be seen on his body. The post-mortem of his body will be conducted soon and the entire session will be videographed,” the official statement by the police stated.
It added that rumors are being spread against the police in this case, claiming that the worker died due to police force. “However, it is to be noted that no police force took action during the protests. No lathi charge was executed. Any person spreading misinformation should stop as such acts may lead to disturbing the peace in the region,” it added.
कांग्रेस पार्टी के कार्यकर्ता की मृत्यु के सम्बन्ध में @dcpcentrallko द्वारा दी गई बाईट-@Uppolice pic.twitter.com/SHscHmjb0F
— LUCKNOW POLICE (@lkopolice) December 18, 2024
Prabhat Pandey, a native of Gorakhpur and a Youth Congress leader had reportedly participated in a Congress-led protest in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The protest was organized in the area around UP Vidhansabha. Pandey was staying in Lucknow in a PG in the Gomati Nagar area. As per the Congress leaders, a major scuffle occurred during the protest in which Pandey lost his life after police executed a lathi charge. However, police denied the claims and stated that Pandey was last seen in the Congress office and that no marks of external injury could be seen on his body. Police have stated that no lathi charge was done.
Meanwhile, the uncle of Pandey who has filed an FIR in the case has stated that Pandey was staying in a PG in the Gomati Nagar area and that he had no idea how he reached the Congress office after the protest where he fell unconscious for 2 hours. He has stated that his nephew has died of unusual circumstances as he had no health issues.
Further, in the case of another Congress worker Mridul Islam, who is believed to have died due to tear gas shells during the protests, the Assam Police issued a statement that the Congress workers had organized an illegal protest as no prior permission from the same was taken by the party. Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah Dangoria explained the event as he condemned the death of the worker. The police also indicated that the workers created massive chaos during the unauthorized protest forcing the police to take action to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, he said that Islam died during the protests but the actual reason for his death is still unknown.
“It is true that he fell ill while protesting and later died in GMCH during treatment, but it’s too early to draw conclusions regarding the cause of death. Let the postmortem report come,” Barah said.
Guwahati Police @GuwahatiPol Commissioner Diganta Barah dangoria explained the sequence of events and circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Congress worker Advocate Mridul Islam. He stated that the protest was a sudden, unauthorized gathering, with no prior application or… pic.twitter.com/Lpii7DPWXg
— Oxomiya Jiyori 🇮🇳 (@SouleFacts) December 18, 2024
Mridul Islam, died on Wednesday following a massive protest against several issues in Guwahati, during which police were forced to resort to tear gas shelling to disperse the crowd. Islam, an advocate by profession, was part of the protest and was exposed to a tear gas shell which made him feel unconscious, as claimed by the Congress. He was rushed to Gawahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment but died during the treatment.
Democracy thrives on dissent, not brutality.
— Rishi Baruah (@rishi_baruah) December 18, 2024
What unfolded today near Raj Bhawan #Guwahati condemnable!
It’s sheer barbaric brutality which claimed the life of a person, Mridul Islam, is nothing short of raged violence.#Assam pic.twitter.com/CI2V965clS
In both cases, it is crucial to note that the Congress party has acted irresponsibly. In the case of Pandey, he was unconscious for 2 hours in the Congress office in Lucknow but nobody cared to take him to the hospital unless his uncle was informed only after it was too late. Despite this, the party made an attempt to make an easy escape by blaming the police. The Lucknow police have denied all the charges fand said that the party is spreading massive misinformation against the police. The police have asserted that no forcible action was taken against the protestors.
