PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
The atmosphere turned tense at the site of Nursing Ekta Manch (NEM) agitation when Uttarakhand Mahila Congress president Jyoti Rautela poured petrol on herself during the agitation on Tuesday evening. She was atop the water tank with four members of NEM at the time of the incident. The sudden action created panic among protesters and people present at the spot. Supporters and police personnel intervened and brought the situation under control.
Rautela and members of the NEM were demanding a meeting with the district magistrate or the Health secretary to discuss their issues. Protesters said that they had been waiting for many hours, but no senior government official had come to meet them. Before the incident, Rautela went live on Facebook and said that more than 34 hours had passed since the protest began, but the government had not listened to them. She also warned that she could take any extreme step if their demands were ignored. The protest intensified after the incident with NEM members and their supporters blocking the road near Parade Ground. This caused traffic problems in the area for some time. Police officers and administration officials reached the spot to control the situation and talk with the protesters. The city magistrate Pratyush Singh and superintendent of police city Pramod Kumar were seen trying to calm the crowd.
