BIRGUNJ, July 15: Kushumi Devi Patel, the mother of martyr Shatrudhan Patel, on Saturday filed a written complaint against the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) claiming that the political party has erected her son's statue without consulting her even once. She said she was appalled at the sight of the statue built at Pakaha, Mainpur, martyr Patel's hometown, because “he more looks like a Chinese than a Madhesi”. With this, RPPN's program to unveil the statue of the martyr has been halted.
“One party has made his statue. We were never consulted. The face of the statue does not look even a bit like my son. It looks like the face of Chinese,” said Devi. “When he died, thousands of people gathered, offered their tributes, and joined his last rituals. But now, one party is trying to belittle it all,” she said.
Patel had died at Geetamandir road during demonstration on the day of the constitution promulgation on 20 September, 2015. Patel who was shot by the police succumbed to the injury.
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According to Chief District Officer (CDO) of Parsa, Keshab Raj Ghimire, the matter has become serious as the mother of the martyr has filed a written complaint.
As the local level election in Province 2 nears, RJPN was scheduled to unveil the statue as one of its election campaign programs. RJPN Chairman Mahantha Thakur was supposed to inaugurate the statue.
“I have informed the party concerned about the complaint. Inaugurating the statue makes no sense when the mother herself is not happy with it,” Ghimire said.
The martyr's brother Teja Patel also said that the statue does not look like that of his brother. “We are not happy with the party for doing this. They are using his image just to make political gains,” he said.
Meanwhile, RJPN leaders defended the act by stating that a martyr belongs to everyone and a political party has every right to honor him or her. “It is a valid point if they are saying that there should have been presence of all the parties in such functions.
Otherwise, we have done nothing wrong,” said RJPN leader Shiva Patel.
RJPN has accused Sanghiya Samajwadi Party for provoking the family unnecessarily.
