Mumbai, Feb 24 (IANS): The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday contended that the Independent MP Mohan S. Delkar was fed up with the harassment of the Bharatiya Janata Party and chose to end his life in this state "to get justice after death".
Delkar, the 7-time MP from the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, hanged himself in a Mumbai hotel room on Monday, sending shockwaves in national political circles.
A delegation of state Congress led by spokesperson Sachin Sawant, Raju Waghmare, Vinay Khamkar and others held a video-conference chat with Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances and the alleged role of the BJP behind Delkar's tragic end.
"Elected representatives have the responsibility to make the laws of the country But Delkar became so helpless and desperate that he was forced to end his life," Sawant said to the Home Minister.
On his part, Deshmukh gave them a hearing, accepted a two-page memorandum and assured that he would direct the Mumbai Police to do the needful in the matter.
The Congress said that Delkar had himself released a detailed video last year and spoke in the Lok Sabha, wherein he highlighted the torture he allegedly underwent at the behest of the BJP.
"He had mentioned the names of some BJP leaders in his video, and in his detailed suicide note, it is learnt that he has named several BJP functionaries, including Praful K. Patel, the Administrator of the UT who is a former Gujarat BJP Minister of State for Home said to be very close to the RSS and BJP leadership," Sawant said.
The trio urged Deshmukh that against this backdrop, Delkar's death must be thoroughly probed, and he probably chose to come to Mumbai and end his life as he was unsure of getting justice in his own UT.
"He must have come to Mumbai with an expectation from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government that the culprits who compelled him to take the extreme step by harassing him would be punished by the law," Sawant said.
Sawant, Waghmare and Khamkar also pointed out that many Opposition governments, prominent leaders, legislators and parliamentarians are being hounded in different states around the country, and the BJP at the Centre is also targeting the MVA government in the state by using Central investigating agencies against it.
"Incidents like Delkar's suicide and the targeting of the Opposition raise questions whether there is democracy existing in the country now" they said.