Lok Sabha lawmaker E Ahamed died last night at Delhi's RML hospital after a cardiac arrest.
Highlights
- Congress leaders alleged E Ahamed's family wasn't allowed access to him
- He was admitted to government-run RML Hospital after cardiac arrest
- This is complete high-handedness of the government, alleged Congress
At a hospital where former Union Minister E Ahamed died late last night, there was a huge row as top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi arrived amid allegations that family members were not allowed access to the parliamentarian.
Mr Ahamed, 78, died at around 2.15 am of a cardiac arrest, hours after he collapsed in parliament during President Pranab Mukherjee's speech.
The Congress alleged that even Mr Ahamed's family was not allowed to see him at the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. The party blamed the Intelligence Bureau, which has denied restricting access.
Mr Ahamed family allegedly had an argument with the hospital authorities.
"I arrived three hours ago... They have no explanation as to why we cannot see him," Mr Ahamed's son was quoted as telling news agency ANI.
"As a son I have the right to see him. We are shocked," he said.
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders also arrived at the hospital to see Mr Ahamed, who was Minister of State for External Affairs in Manmohan Singh's government.
"They rushed to the RML hospital because E Ahamed's family is not being permitted to meet him or to know about his well-being. This is complete high-handedness of the government," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told the Press Trust of India.
A member of Mr Ahamed's Indian Union Muslim League party told ANI: "We repeatedly requested the doctors that the family members are coming, they should be allowed to meet him. They said that they will make arrangement but when we approached they refused. It is injustice and cruelty when the daughter and son are stopped."
After he collapsed, Mr Ahamed was admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital. He was later shifted to the trauma centre, where doctors tried to revive him and then put him on life support.
After his death, opposition parties said the budget must be postponed by a day as a mark of respect. After a member's death, the house is traditionally adjourned.
Amid speculation, government sources said it would be too difficult to put off the budget as secrecy is also involved.
There have been two precedents, in 1954 and 1974, when members died and the budget was not deferred.