UP Congress Worker's Death: Man Lay In Party Office For 2 Hrs Without Aid, Say Police

Two Congress workers in Assam's Guwahati and Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow have died during protests. The Congress has blamed "police brutality" for the two deaths.

UP Congress chief Ajay Ray gets some water from a party worker during the protest on Tuesday.

Source : PTI

The Uttar Pradesh Police has claimed that the Congress worker who died on Wednesday was lying unconscious or even dead for two hours at the party office in Lucknow. The police are basing their investigation on this angle. The Congress claimed that the 28-year-old party worker, Prabhat Pandey, died during a protest near the state Assembly on Wednesday. It blamed "police brutality" for the death.

#BREAKING | लखनऊ में कल प्रदर्शन के दौरान हुई थी कार्यकर्ता प्रभात पांडेय की मौत, परिजनों का हुआ बुरा हाल

'आगे के एजेंडा' (@romanaisarkhan) के साथ@vivekraijourno | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK #Police #Protest #Congress #Lucknow pic.twitter.com/QWEE43k8kf

— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 19, 2024

However, the autopsy report did not reveal any external injury to Pandey's body. The police statement read that Pandey was brought to the Civil Hospital from the Congress state party office at around 5 PM on December 18, and was declared brought dead by the doctors.

#BREAKING | लखनऊ में कांग्रेस दफ्तर पहुंची पुलिस, कल प्रदर्शन के दौरान हुई थी एक कार्यकर्ता की मौत

'आगे के एजेंडा' (@romanaisarkhan) के साथ@vivekraijourno | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK #Police #Protest #Congress #Lucknow pic.twitter.com/vtIvnBIw6o

— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 19, 2024

"The deceased worker was lying unconscious for two hours in the Congress office. Why was he not taken to the hospital? Why were Congress leaders and his family not informed? He was brought dead in the civil hospital," a police source told ABP News.

The UP Police further stated that the deceased was last seen at the party's office where he was found unconscious. "According to doctors, there are no visible external injuries on his body at first glance," it said.

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

'UP Congress President's Role Suspicious' 

The police said it will conduct searches at the UP Congress headquarters in Lucknow as well as locations linked to the party's state president Ajay Rai. He will also be questioned on Thursday as the police believe that his role is "suspicious" in this case

On Wednesday evening, several Congress workers were questioned for three hours.

The police further warned against spreading "rumours".

https://t.co/VZOzBmYSe0 pic.twitter.com/P2yl0HzqFJ

— LUCKNOW POLICE (@lkopolice) December 18, 2024

Congress Worker Dies In Assam, Party Alleges 'British Raj'

In a similar incident, another Congress worker, Mridul Islam, died in Assam's Guwahati during a protest march to Raj Bhavan. The Congress has blamed excessive force and tear gas used by the police for his death. The party said the police lobbed tear gas shells without any provocation.

The police denied the claim and said that the cause of Islam's death is not known yet.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi alleged: "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."

उत्तर प्रदेश में व्याप्त कुशासन के खिलाफ विधानसभा घेराव करने जा रहे कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं पर पुलिस की बर्बरता ने हमारे एक कार्यकर्ता की जान ले ली। गोरखपुर के युवा कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ता प्रभात पाण्डेय जी की मौत अत्यंत हृदयविदारक है।

इसी तरह असम में प्रदर्शन कर रहे कांग्रेस… pic.twitter.com/Kgdhsj24ef

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 18, 2024