INDORE: A 72-year-old CPI (M) activist succumbed to the burn injuries on the January 26 evening which he had suffered after setting himself ablaze two days earlier here in Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday.
Though police had not given out the motive behind Rameshchandra Prajapat taking his own life, a CPI (M) leader claimed that he seemed "highly disappointed" because of the "stubborn attitude" of the Central government on the overall CAA-NPR-NRC issue.
Police had found pamphlets denouncing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the proposed National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) from Prajapat's bag at Geeta Bhavan square, the spot of the incident.
"Rameshchandra Prajapat had set himself on fire last Friday (January 24) by spraying some inflammable substance on himself. He died on Sunday evening during treatment at the MY Hospital," said Tukoganj police station in-charge Nirmal Kumar Shrivas.
When asked about the possible motive behind Prajapat's act, the police officer said they are investigating.
"Prajapat had suffered nearly 100 per cent burns, and because of his critical condition, police could not record his statement. We are investigating," he said.
When asked about recovery of pamphlets from Prajapat's bag, the police officer said no conclusion should be drawn merely on that basis.
Meanwhile, a CPI (M) leader has said that Prajapat was regularly taking part in the anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests in various parts of the country.
"It appears that Prajapat was highly disappointed because of the stubborn attitude of the Central government on the issue of the CAA, the NPR and the NRC," said Kailash Limbodia, Member, Rajya Sachiv Mandal, CPI (M). He, however, added that the party would never support such extreme steps.
Limbodia claimed that Prajapat himself had prepared the pamphlets mentioning the Centre's "stubborn attitude" towards the CAA-NPR-NRC regime despite nationwide protests.
He appealed to the Centre to hold a dialogue with protesters and resolve the protests.