Leaving the administration of Mewat as well as Alwar high and dry, hundreds of Meos blocked Delhi-Alwar highway for almost four hours on Saturday night bringing to halt one of the busiest transit routes.
Carrying the body of 28-year-old Akbar Khan who was lynched by alleged ‘Gau Rakshaks’ in Alwar, the enraged mob led former minister Aftab Ahmed sat on highway to demand justice.
The protest that threw traffic out of gear and brought in compensation of Rs 5 lakh each from Rajasthan and Haryana governments was planned at the burial ground just minutes before Akbar was to be laid to rest.
“The entire nation and world was debating mobocracy and our state government was silent. They did not even had fake tears to shed or spare a thought for Khan. The family waited till last moment for state governments to extend help or assurance but nobody cared and thus this protest was planned. It took four hours of wailing on highway, hours of jam with hundreds of vehicles stuck to get governments announce compensation which though meagre but was the right of the aggrieved family,” Aftab Ahmed said.
According to sources, the family was all set to bury Ahmed around 9 pm yesterday when Aftab Ahmed and other senior Congress leaders came forward to support the deceased’s father who after his initial declaration of not conducting the last rites went ahead losing any hope of justice. As the traffic situation worsened the SDM rushed to spot and announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh. Soon, a similar declaration came from the Rajasthan government.
Deceased’s father Suleiman Khan said, “I realised that my son was just another poor Muslim whose life was of no value and we have no resources to keep his body at home any further. However, all people along with these leaders offered to wait with me for compensation. This money cannot compensate the lifetime of pain inflicted on family but would ensure meals for few months.”
