Political parties including Congress have demanded an investigation into the role of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the death of Mohan Sanjibhai Delkar, the seven-time Parliament member from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Delkar, a tribal leader who had been part of Congress and BJP at various times, and had also founded his own party for some period, was found dead in a South Mumbai hotel on Monday.
According to sources, the suicide note, written in Gujarat language, has held responsible certain politicians and administrative officials for “injustice”, “insult” and “bias” meted out to him.
Congress demands probe, accuses BJP
A delegation of Maharashtra 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.
Sawant 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.
Congress leaders also 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 Union Territory.
“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 added.
Congress leaders also wrote a letter to Maharashtra government and said: “Delkar had publicly claimed that he was at the receiving end of the powers that be in the UT and New Delhi. In a detailed tell-all video released in mid-2020, Delkar had taken his constituents into confidence and threatened to resign from his Lok Sabha seat as he could no longer bear the insults and humiliating treatment continuously meted out to him. Delkar was clearly seen targeting BJP in the video. The words used by him shed light on how he was targeted by the Modi government”.
Delkar in the video had said, “All my efforts to get justice are blocked and stonewalled by these people. They are even trying to frame me in fake cases, my supporters, the organisations I run or work for are targeted and the people in it are also hounded.” Delkar can also be heard saying that BJP leaders, the bureaucracy, police, investigating agencies, and local goons were constantly harassing him at all levels. Delkar had also accused officials at the UT of continuously harassing him, not allowing him to address his people, and attemping to book him in fake cases.
All angles to be probed: Maharashtra home minister
After hearing Congress leaders state home minister Deshmukh accepted a two-page memorandum and assured that he would direct the Mumbai Police to do the needful in the matter.
“7-time MP came to Mumbai for suicide perhaps hoping Maha can give justice. D&N administrator BJP man Praful Patel’s name cropped up. All angles to be probed,” Deshmukh said.
Bharatiya Tribal Party demands CBI inquiry
Chhotubhai Vasava, MLA from Gujarat and supremo of Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) has demanded a CBI inquiry into the death of Delkar.
In a series of tweets, the Gujarat tribal leader said Delkar was a prominent tribal leader in the country and had a strong clout.
Vasava also accused of media and political parties for not raising the issue.
Not suicide, institutional killing: Tribal Army
Tribal Army by Hansraj Meena claimed that the tribal MP Mohan Delkar has not committed suicide and it was an institutional killing.
The party demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.
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