Varanasi: Campaigner for creation of Purvanchal state sets bus ablaze

A campaigner for a separate state of Purvanchal set a bus on fire in Varanasi on September 19 after she was allegedly stopped from meeting PM Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the city

Photo courtesy: YouTube
Photo courtesy: YouTube
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Sunita Shahi

A campaigner for the creation of a separate state of Purvanchal out of Uttar Pradesh state, set a luxury bus on fire at Varanasi’s Cantonment Bus Stand on Wednesday evening, September 19. Identified as Vandana Raghuvanshi, general secretary of Purvanchal Rajya Janandolan, she also distributed pamphlets, seeking support of the people for a separate state before some people caught her and handed her to the police.

Reportedly, Raghuvanshi set the bus on fire because Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during their visit to the city on September 17 and 18 didn’t give time to the protesters who have been on dharna since August 15 to press for reorganisation of Uttar Pradesh and creation of Purvanchal state.

“The PM and the CM refused to give us time. Now they will listen to us. I am doing this to seek their attention”, Raghuvanshi was reportedly heard shouting.

DK Singh, city superintendent of police, said, “She was produced before a court and sent into custody.”

Over a dozen protesters had started hunger strike at Lahurabir crossing on August 15. After two weeks, the police had forcefully admitted them to Divisional Hospital in Kabirchowra area when their health started deteriorating. Since then they are on dharna in the hospital

Mukesh Kumar, driver of the Lucknow-bound Volvo bus, hired by UP State Transport Corporation, told reporters that Raghuvanshi first entered the bus and sat on the rear seat. “Suddenly she stood and started shouting, "Fire, fire… get down from the bus." There were three passengers besides her, who left the bus. Then she also disembarked, poured some petrol she had kept in a polythene on the bus tires and then lit it. She didn’t misbehave with anybody.  Other buses were standing at a distance from my bus”, claimed Kumar.

PM Modi was in his Parliamentary constituency of Varanasi for two days over Sept 17-18 to celebrate his 68th birthday. CM Yogi was there to accompany the PM in several government programmes.

Over a dozen protesters had begun a hunger strike at Lahurabir crossing in the city on Independence Day, August 15. After two weeks, when their health started deteriorating, the police had forcefully admitted them to Divisional Hospital in Kabirchowra area. Since then, they are on dharna in the hospital.

Rajesh Pandey, spokesperson of the organisation which was founded in September 2013, said, “The police had put Vandana under house arrest from September 16 to 18, when the PM and the CM were present in the city. Earlier she along with other members had met several senior administrative, police officers and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to request the PM or the CM to give them time to listen to their woes. But instead of helping us, they confined Vandana in her house and also deployed huge police force at the gate of the hospital to prevent us from moving out.”

The police have refuted the allegation that the protesters were put under house arrest or prevented from leaving the hospital.

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Published: 20 Sep 2018, 1:56 PM