BJP drunk with power, says Congress after Haryana leader stops ambulance

The Congress on Monday accused the BJP of being "drunk with power" after a BJP leader in Haryana stopped an ambulance over an argument, leading to the death of a patient being ferried to hospital.

The Congress also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar take note of the incident.

Haryana Police are investigating a complaint from the family of a patient who died after the ambulance carrying him was allegedly stopped by a BJP leader in Fatehabad town following a minor accident.

The victim's family alleged that nearly 30 minutes of precious time was lost after Fatehabad Municipal Council President Darshan Nagpal, who is from the ruling BJP in Haryana, stopped the ambulance to argue with the ambulance driver.

"The patient died before he could be rushed to the local hospital. Our pleas to the BJP leader to let us go went unheeded," Arun Kumar, a relative of the deceased Naveen Kumar, told media in Fatehabad, around 225 km from here, on Monday.

The patient had cardio issues and was being rushed to a cardiologist.

Atma Ram, the in-charge of Fatehabad city police station, said the matter was being investigated.

The victim's family alleged that the ambulance brushed Nagpal's car which infuriated the BJP leader who chased the ambulance and stopped it.

The family alleged that the police was unwilling to register a case against the powerful local BJP leader.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "In a case of double whammy, it is now clear that BJP is drunk with power and arrogance of power surpasses everything else."

"The manner and fashion in which BJP leader first hit the ambulance and then caused delay which led to the death of the patient holds this individual (BJP leader) and the party whose power he exercises completely culpable in this incident," Surjewala said.

"Will the Chief Minister, the Prime Minister, BJP president take note of this, or has the arrogance of numbers become so high that ordinary mortals and their lives have become irrelevant, that honour of young girls has become secondary to the protection of BJP leaders and their children," he added.

--IANS

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