Yogi Adityanath Visits Martyr's Family. AC, Sofa Come And Go With Him

Lucknow: The family of Prem Sagar - one of the two soldiers mutilated by Pakistani troops earlier this month - has described the arrangements made for a visit by Yogi Adityanath on Sunday as "humiliating". For the Chief Minister's brief visit, the Uttar Pradesh administration insisted on bringing an air-conditioner, a carpet, a sofa and even towels to the martyr's home. These were all taken away the moment he left.

The body of the BSF Head Constable had been found near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month. For more than 24 hours, the family -- residents of a tiny village in Deoria -- had withheld his funeral. All they wanted was an audience with the Chief Minister. The funeral took place only after Yogi Adityanath spoke to them on phone and promised to visit them.

The visit happened over the weekend. Ahead of it, arrangements were made for uninterrupted power supply to the martyr's home -- a four-room house shared by his wife and four children -- for the duration of the visit.

"Before the visit, local officials installed an air conditioner, a sofa set and even a carpet in the room where the meeting with the Chief Minister was to take place," said his son Eashwar. "Right after he left, some officials came and dismantled everything and left".

Daya Shankar, the brother of the martyred soldier, who also works with the BSF, said it was an "insult" and that the local administration could have waited a day or two.

Mr Sagar drew a salary of around Rs 40,000. The Chief Minister, the family said, has extended financial help. He has even promised a job to one member of the family.

Mr Sagar and army jawan Paramjit Singh were part of a three-member team that had gone to check on a snapped communication line at the Line of Control. Their mutilated bodies were recovered in the morning on May 2. After his death, anger had erupted at the village, with the locals demanding that the government take stern action.