Congress, Left corner Modi government over Ahamed’s death

New Delhi, Feb 3: 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 corory 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.

Revolutiory Socialist Party (RSP) member N.K. Premachandran claimed that Ahamed might have died soon after collapsing in Parliament on Tuesday. (IANS)