New Delhi : Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday that he has informed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about the grief-stricken families of the Hathras stampede incident through a letter and urged him to increase the compensation for them.
The senior Congress leader wrote the letter after his visit to Hathras on July 5. During his visit, Rahul Gandhi met with the families affected by the tragedy.
https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1809825218728181912
"After meeting the families affected by the Hathras stampede, feeling their grief, and understanding their problems, I informed the Honorable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath ji, through a letter. I urged the Chief Minister to increase the compensation amount and provide it to the bereaved families as soon as possible. They need our collective condolences and support in this hour of grief," Rahul Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on the social media platform X.
The Congress leader also shared the letter, written in Hindi, on his social media platform. At least 121 devotees lost their lives earlier on Tuesday in a stampede at a religious 'Satsang' event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal, alias 'Bhole Baba', in Fulari village, Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.
Meanwhile, Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the Hathras stampede incident, was sent to 14 days of judicial custody after being produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Saturday. The court inquired if he had written permission for the event and from whom it was obtained. Madhukar replied that he received permission from the SDM for a gathering of 80,000 people. When asked if the event was publicized, Madhukar denied doing so.
Notably, Devprakash Madhukar had been absconding, and a reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced for information leading to his arrest. He was finally apprehended on July 5 in the national capital. Additionally, two other accused, Ramprakash Shakya and Sanju Yadav, were also arrested, according to the police. The stampede occurred during the 'Satsang' of self-styled godman Suraj Pal Singh, known as 'Bhole Baba', in Fulari village, Hathras on July 2.