Another Haryana leader puts BJP government on defensive

Chandigarh, Aug 7: Already under attack over the incident of stalking involving Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala's son, the state's ruling BJP found itself on the defensive on another matter on Monday with a senior party leader being accused of stopping an ambulance over a minor accident which led to the death of a heart patient.

BJP municipal council chief in Fatehabad town, Darshan Nagpal, landed the party in a fresh controversy after the family of a patient who died when the ambulance carrying him was allegedly stopped by Nagpal filed a police complaint.

The victim's family alleged that nearly 30 minutes of precious time was lost as Nagpal stopped the ambulance to argue with the driver after his car was hit.

"The patient died before he could be rushed to hospital. Our pleas to the BJP leader to let us go went unheeded," Arun Kumar, a relative of the deceased Naveen Kumar, told media in Fatehabad, around 225 km from here.

The patient had cardio issues and was being rushed to a cardiologist. Atma Ram, the in-charge of Fatehabad city police station, said the matter was being investigated.

The victim's family alleged that the ambulance brushed Nagpal's car which infuriated the BJP leader who chased the ambulance and stopped it. The family alleged that the police was unwilling to register a case against the powerful local BJP leader.

Nagpal denied that he stopped the ambulance. He claimed that he followed the ambulance up to the hospital and confronted the driver there.