New Delhi: Over 50 villagers on Thursday blocked roads near BSP leader Kanshi Ram's village in the Ropar district of Punjab to protest his absence at his mother's funeral.
Villagers say they will not proceed with the funeral unless Kanshi Ram is present for it.
This protest came after BSP chief Mayawati announced that BSP party founder Kanshi Ram would not be able to attend his mother's funeral at his ancestral village.
Kanshi Ram's mother Bishan Kaur, who was admitted to PGI hospital in Chandigarh on Wednesday night after suffering a massive heart attack died on Thursday afternoon.
Kanshi Ram, who has been paralysed for the last two years, is presently living at Mayawati's residence in New Delhi.
The ailing leader's brother Darbara Singh said their mother's last wish was to meet Kanshi Ram, but it did not materialise as the BSP leader was unwell.
Alleging that BSP supremo Mayawati had not allowed his family to meet Kanshi Ram, Darbara Singh said: "The last time my mother and I went to meet Kanshi Ram we were made to wait for hours and then we were allowed to meet him for only a few minutes."
This is not the first time this matter has arisen. Earlier Kanshi Ram's family had gone to court over the issue of his possession with his mother alleging that her son was in no position to take decisions due to his ill health and that Mayawati, taking advantage of this, had confined him illegally.
Bishan Kaur further claimed that Mayawati had refused to let her meet her son and that he was kept drugged and sedated for most of the time.
She then pleaded with the court to release her son from the "illegal custody" of the former UP chief minister.
The High Court had refused to entertain this petition after the court registrar said that the Kanshi Ram had told him that he was staying at Mayawati’s house of his own free will.
Although the High Court dismissed her plea, Bishan Kaur moved the Supreme Court.
Following the petiton a Bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices N Santosh Hegde and SB Sinha issued a notice to Maywati.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the Mayawati proffered various TV interviews Kanshi Ram had given to the media as proof that he himself had volunteered to live in her house.
Denying all charges levelled against her, she said that the BSP had spent Rs 50 lakh on Kanshi Ram's treatment, while his relatives hadn't contributed "a single penny."
She also alleged that her political rivals had instigated her mentor's relatives to file a petition against her.
Meanwhile on Thursday Senior Superintendent of Police Ropar, SP Singh, assured the media that the situation was under control and no untoward event had occurred. But he admitted that protesters were still sitting on the roadside.
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