Villagers raise slogans as YC member’s body comes home

Gorakhpur: There was tension when Congress state president Ajay Rai appeared at the funeral of Youth Congress worker Prabhat Pandey, 28, who died during a protest in Lucknow on Wednesday. Furious locals raised slogans against Rai and other party members. Police had to intervene to control the situation.Pandey's body was brought to his native village, Deipar, in Gorakhpur district, on Thursday and was received by his grief-stricken parents. At the cremation, Ajay Rai was met with resistance from angry locals, who accused him of exploiting the situation for political gains. Protestors did not let him approach the pyre. Rai tried to pacify them by showing his ‘janeu' (sacred thread) and stating, "I am a Brahmin too, a true 24-carat one." Eventually, after appeals from accompanying leaders, Rai was allowed to offer tributes. An initial post-mortem report indicated heart attack as the cause of death, but his family suspected foul play. Unnamed FIR of murder was lodged, based on complaint by Pandey's uncle, Manish Pandey.Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, condemned the incident. Rahul Gandhi posted on X, "Democracy and Constitution have once again been murdered in Uttar Pradesh. Congress's brave lions will continue their fight."Rai held govt responsible and said, "This is not death, but murder." He claimed that Prabhat had told fellow workers he was beaten by police before his collapse.Prabhat Pandey, only son of Deepak Pandey, an LIC agent, was an active member of the Youth Congress, who lived in Lucknow with his uncle.
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