CHANDIGARH: Disgruntled over his son not able to get a government job, a 42-year-old man set himself ablaze during the Jan Ashirvaad Yatra of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar near Rathdhana village in Sonepat district of the state today.
Sources said that the person identified as Rajesh of Rathdhana village was disgruntled with the BJP government for not providing a government job to his son and set himself on fire after pouring kerosene on him and ran towards Khattar's yatra.
However, he was stopped by the people who ended suffering burn injuries themselves. Rajesh reportedly suffered 80 per cent burns. Three others were injured while trying to stop him - Raghbir of Kailana village, Mukesh of Rathdhana village and Chand of Bega village. All four were taken to the General Hospital in Sonepat from where doctors referred Rajesh to PGIMS Rohtak due to his critical condition.
Rajesh said that he took the extreme step because his son was unemployed despite being assured a job when he met the chief minister earlier.
Sonipat Superintendent of Police Pratiksha Godhara said that the Jan Ashirvaad Yatra reached in this area and was about to stop when suddenly a man sprinkled some inflammable material on himself and set himself on fire. He was rushed to the burn ward of PGIMS, Rohtak, where preliminary reports state that he is out of danger. There was no breach in security as the man was nowhere near the CM's vehicle.
Haryana urban local bodies and women and child development minister and MLA from Sonipat, Kavita Jain said, "I was on board the yatra bus when we saw the man in ablaze. Another four more persons also sustained burn injuries in the incident. Why he took this extreme step it will be investigated and the government will extend all help to his family."’