Agra: A gardener working in Agra’s Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University allegedly tried to end his life by consuming poison — a step which he is said to have taken Tuesday after prolonged harassment at the residence of Uttar Pradesh higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyaya.
Dinesh Kushwaha, a class IV employee, hailing from the OBC community of Kushwaha, is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
A video of Kushwaha’s wife reading out a letter detailing the abuse has been circulated widely.
Kushwaha has accused Deputy Registrar Pavan Kumar of sending him to Upadhyaya’s house two years ago. He alleged that the minister’s son subjected him to extended working hours and physical abuse with no respite despite complaints to the university authorities.
Upadhyaya has dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated”.
The minister further claimed that he had no public or private university employees working at his residence, adding that Opposition forces were seeking to tarnish his reputation.
After the news of the gardener’s alleged attempted suicide Tuesday spread, angry university employees took to the streets to demand justice for their colleague and action against those responsible for his ordeal. Demonstrations erupted at the university’s Secretariat, where offices were locked down in protest against the alleged exploitation of university staff at the residence of the minister.
Akhilesh Chaudhary, president of the University’s Non-Teaching Employees Union, demanded an investigation into the ‘unauthorised deployment’ of university staff at the minister’s residence and called for disciplinary action against the guilty.
Local Dalit leader and social activist Rajkumar Nagrath, too, denounced the incident. “The exploitation and abuse are indicative of the systemic discrimination and oppression endured by Dalit communities in our society. Such egregious acts cannot be tolerated, and those responsible must be held accountable,” he said to ThePrint.
Station House Officer Hariparwat Alok Kumar Singh said investigation into the incident is ongoing and action will be taken against the accused if and when their involvement is confirmed.
If you are feeling suicidal or depressed, please call a helpline number in your state.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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