Hathras/Aligarh, The grieving families of the 'satsang' stampede victims who met Rahul Gandhi in Hathras and Aligarh on Friday said the Congress leader has assured them that he will make efforts to improve their compensation.
The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha also assured that he would raise the issue of stampede in Parliament in a bid to avoid such incidents in future, they said.
Gandhi met some families first at Pilkhana village of Aligarh around 7.30 am and then at Vibhav Nagar area of Hathras around 9 am, hours after beginning his pre-dawn journey from Delhi, accompanied by some party leaders, to console the families of those murdered. in Tuesday's incident.
His meetings with families from the two neighboring districts of western Uttar Pradesh took place amid the deployment of a large number of security personnel by the state police.
Hari Mohan, a resident of Nai ka Nagla village in Hathras, lost his paternal aunt Omvati, 55, in the stampede.
"Rahul Gandhi interacted with us and expressed solidarity with him. He said that he would make efforts to increase the compensation amount for the victims," Mohan said.
Mrityunjay Bharti, 22, lost his maternal grandmother Asha Devi, aged around 55, in the tragedy. Bharti, who lives in Aligarh, has come to Hathras to be with his relatives who live in the Navipur area of the city.
"He (Gandhi) spoke to us and tried to understand our problems. He said that he would raise the issue in Parliament so that incidents like this do not happen in future," Bharti said.
In Aligarh's Pilkhana village, Monu, a relative of the deceased, when asked about Gandhi's visit, said, "He also said that he will do his best to help us and will talk to the government as his party is not in strength." "
Khusboo, who lost his mother, said she was assured of help during the interaction with the former Congress president.
Another woman, who lost her sister-in-law in the stampede, told reporters: "He (Rahul Gandhi) told us that the (Congress) party will help us and assured us of help. He also asked us how (the incident) had place."
According to police, of the 121 people who died due to the July 2 stampede, 17 were from Aligarh and 19 from Hathras.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy, also looking into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede.
The government has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The police are investigating the matter and have so far arrested six volunteers who were members of the organizing committee of Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba's satsang on July 2 in Fulrai village of Hathras.
The godman is not listed as an accused in the police FIR, but a senior officer told the media on Thursday that he would be questioned if necessary for the investigation.
The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha also assured that he would raise the issue of stampede in Parliament in a bid to avoid such incidents in future, they said.
Gandhi met some families first at Pilkhana village of Aligarh around 7.30 am and then at Vibhav Nagar area of Hathras around 9 am, hours after beginning his pre-dawn journey from Delhi, accompanied by some party leaders, to console the families of those murdered. in Tuesday's incident.
His meetings with families from the two neighboring districts of western Uttar Pradesh took place amid the deployment of a large number of security personnel by the state police.
Hari Mohan, a resident of Nai ka Nagla village in Hathras, lost his paternal aunt Omvati, 55, in the stampede.
"Rahul Gandhi interacted with us and expressed solidarity with him. He said that he would make efforts to increase the compensation amount for the victims," Mohan said.
Mrityunjay Bharti, 22, lost his maternal grandmother Asha Devi, aged around 55, in the tragedy. Bharti, who lives in Aligarh, has come to Hathras to be with his relatives who live in the Navipur area of the city.
"He (Gandhi) spoke to us and tried to understand our problems. He said that he would raise the issue in Parliament so that incidents like this do not happen in future," Bharti said.
In Aligarh's Pilkhana village, Monu, a relative of the deceased, when asked about Gandhi's visit, said, "He also said that he will do his best to help us and will talk to the government as his party is not in strength." "
Khusboo, who lost his mother, said she was assured of help during the interaction with the former Congress president.
Another woman, who lost her sister-in-law in the stampede, told reporters: "He (Rahul Gandhi) told us that the (Congress) party will help us and assured us of help. He also asked us how (the incident) had place."
According to police, of the 121 people who died due to the July 2 stampede, 17 were from Aligarh and 19 from Hathras.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy, also looking into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede.
The government has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The police are investigating the matter and have so far arrested six volunteers who were members of the organizing committee of Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba's satsang on July 2 in Fulrai village of Hathras.
The godman is not listed as an accused in the police FIR, but a senior officer told the media on Thursday that he would be questioned if necessary for the investigation.
