New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS): The death of Kerala MP and former union minister E. Ahamed snowballed into a major row with allegations of "deliberate" attempts to delay the announcement of his demise. Both Congress and Left demanded a probe.
Besides complaining that those accompanying the late Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader, including his family, were made to wait endlessly at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, the RSP asked why Ahamed was shifted out of the intensive coronary care unit.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged attempts, including by the Prime Minster's Office (PMO), to suppress the news of Ahamed's death.
"The way in which the news of his death was sought to be suppressed and there is interference, is what I hear, from the highest authority in the country, the PMO," alleged Yechury, demanding a thorough probe into the death.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge alleged in the Lok Sabha pressure from the government on the RML to keep the news of Ahamed's death under wraps to ensure the Union Budget was presented as scheduled on February 1.
"The body was kept in the hospital in an inhuman way. His family was not allowed to meet Ahamed for several hours. The government pressurised the doctors to ensure the Budget is presented," said Kharge.
The Congress leader asked the government to issue a statement and called for parliamentary committee to probe the issue.
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) member N.K. Premachandran claimed that Ahamed might have died soon after collapsing in Parliament on Tuesday.
"We were at the hospital along with other IUML MPs and from the versions of the doctors we had this impression that Ahamed may have died soon after collapsing," Premachandran told the media.
"We could not fathom why he was shifted form the intensive coronary care unit to trauma care," said the MP from Kerala who gave a notice for adjournment of business of the Lok Sabha to probe into the "ill treatment and grave disrespect" by the hospital to Ahamed.
The notice, along with other adjournment notices, was not accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
Echoing the RSP member's views, Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media Ahamed passed away "much earlier" then declared by the hospital.
"The government wanted to keep the news under wraps until the budget was presented. So nobody was allowed to meet (him)."
Meanwhile, IUML Lok Sabha member E.T. Mohammed Basheer said that all those accompanying Ahamed, including his family, had a harrowing time at the hospital.
"The doctors were not allowing anyone inside the trauma centre where Ahamed was kept. No doctors were coming out of it either and there was no update about his health," Basheer told IANS.
Basheer alleged that the doctors and the security staff were not behaving properly even with MPs and Ahamed's family. Among those to visit the hospital were Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
"I believe he was dead long back. Why were they not letting us know or not giving any update on his health?" Bahseer asked.
RML Hospital Medical Superintendent A.K. Gadpayle denied allegations of suppressing the news of Ahamed's death.
"There was no political pressure on us. The protocol is to not to allow anyone in ICU when treatment is on. Ahamed was alive when brought to the hospital. He died at 2.15 a.m. I am hurt by the allegations," he said.
The Kerala Congress flayed Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for not adjourning the Lok Sabha on February 1 and also held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible.
"Mahajan has totally failed in upholding the courtesy of the house. The union government owes an explanation and apology to the nation, to the Lok Sabha and to Ahamed's family," Kerala Congress chief V.M. Sudheeran said.
"The Prime Minister is also responsible. Without their knowledge such things don't happen," he said.