Slain jawan's family wants Akhilesh's presence

The family of CRPF jawan Avadh Bihari, who was killed in a suicide attack on a CRPF camp in Srinagar on Wednesday, has refused to cremate his body until Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav visited their village in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district, about 200 km from here.

The wife of the slain jawan has embarked on an indefinite hunger strike to press for the chief minister’s visit.

Pal’s body reached Kuthanuta Buzurg village on Thursday. His father, Ram Kumar, said though the jawan sacrificed his life for the country, the chief minister did not deem it fit to visit the bereaved family.

Kumar remained adamant on meeting Yadav despite senior district officials trying to assuage him, sources said.

The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the slain jawan’s family. The chief minister was constrained to visit six such aggrieved families in the last two months, in most cases after they embarked on an indefinite dharna or hunger strike.

Earlier, families of two CRPF jawans killed by Maoists in Jharkhand, had staged an indefinite dharna and hunger strike in Pratapgarh and Allahabad respectively, demanding a hike in compensation and a visit by the chief minister. Yadav had rushed to meet them and handed over the compensation cheques.

He had also visited Mathura to meet the family of Indian Army jawan Hemraj, who was allegedly killed by Pakistani soldiers near the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir.
The widow of slain Kunda DSP Zia-ul-Haque had also refused to bury her husband’s body until Yadav paid her a visit at Deoria. The chief minister gave her a cheque for Rs 50 lakh and promised employment to a family member.

“It is becoming a fashion of sorts, threatening to stage a hunger strike or dharna and demanding the chief minister’s visit,” said a senior official, who conceded that such actions reflected upon the lack of faith in the system.
DH News Service