Congress slams Uttarakhand Govt. over Swami Nigamanand's death

New Delhi, June 14 (ANI): Congress Party on Tuesday criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttarakhand Government over the death of activist Swami Nigamanand.

Nigamanand died after a record 115-day long hunger strike yesterday demanding immediate stopping of quarrying in Ganga and alleged corruption in the government's system with active involvement of the mafia.

Slamming BJP for its 'double standards', Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said the BJP leaders did not bother about the fast-unto-death of Nigamanand, as they were too busy with yoga guru Swami Ramdev.

"Here was a Swami Nigamanand who was fighting against corruption in Uttarakhand Government, who was fighting against the illegal mining going on in the Ganga (River Ganges), and this Swami NigamanandJi was fasting for more than 100 days, and there was no reaction from the state government of Uttarakhand. This is one," said Singh.

"Number two, here is a high-flying Swami Ramdev who is on a moneymaking spree, raising issues which he does not understand, raising issues which he does not comprehend, and going on a hunger strike, and you have the leaders of opposition (BJP) going there, the chief minister going there," he added.

Digvijay Singh further said: "This is what the BJP is - they say something and do something. This is what that they should have been doing for Swami NigamanandJi, which they have not done and because of which SwamiJi had to die."

Swami Nigamanand, whose fast against quarrying in the river Ganga could not generate the same publicity and political pitch that yoga guru Baba Ramdev did, died on Monday after 115-day long hunger strike.

Nigamanand went on a fast unto death to protest against illegal mining on the bank of the Ganga in Haridwar. He started his fast on February 19 from Haridwar.

On April 30, the district administration forcibly shifted Nigamanand - a seer at the Matri Sadan Ashram - to the Haridwar District Hospital as his condition started to deteriorate.

But even then, he refused to touch food. On May 2, he entered into a coma. He was then shifted to Dehradun's Himalayan Hospital and put on life support. (ANI)