UP minister, MLA draw flak for 'photo-op' with martyr's mother

Opposition parties on Friday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party leaders displayed insensitivity in handing over a compensation cheque to the inconsolable mother of Captain Shubham Gupta, who was killed fighting terrorists in J-K, and lashed out at them for using the occasion as a 'photo-op'.

Before the arrival of the mortal remains of the army officer at his home, Uttar Pradesh Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay and local MLA G S Dharmesh tried to hand over the cheque of Rs 50 lakh in front of mediapersons to Capt Gupta's wailing mother, who said she did not need it and kept insisting not to drag her in this 'pradarshini' (exhibition).

"Mere liye pradarshini mat lagao," she said and cried that she wanted her son back as some of the people around her asked her to hold the cheque.

The Congress and other opposition parties slammed the minister for using the occasion as a 'photo-op'.

'Giddh' (vulture), said the Congress while sharing the video from its official X handle.

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MP and deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Priyanka Chaturvedi used the words 'shameless, insensitive' while sharing the video.

''Pradarshini na lagao', the mother is pleading while inconsolable yet the minister continues with his photo op. What shamelessness is this? Won't even allow the martyr family to grieve in peace minus the cameras. Heartless,' she said in another post on X.

Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also said, 'The B in BJP should stand for Besharm and P for Publicity.'

'Captain Shubham Gupta made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during an encounter in the Rajouri sector. His mother is grieving and eagerly awaiting her son's mortal remains.

'In the midst of her inconsolable sorrow, UP government's BJP Minister Yogendra Upadhyay shamelessly persists on having a photograph taken for his PR - this, despite the mother's plea to refrain from turning her grief into a spectacle. Shame,' Chadha said in a post while sharing the video.

Some former top Army officials also expressed unhappiness over the conduct of the leaders.

''Don't hold this exhibition brother'. The crying mother of 27 year old martyr Captain Shubham Gupta told BJP government minister Yogendra Upadhyay and sycophants. He had arrived with a cheque of Rs 50 lakh,' Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said.

AAP Youth Wing also shared the video and said on its X handle, 'Condolences to Captain Shubham Gupta's grieving mother. Amidst her pain, a UP BJP Gov Minister exploits her sorrow for PR, offering a check before the camera.'

'As his remains reach Agra today, let's honour his valour and sacrifice,' it said.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed pain at the loss of five army personnel during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir and said the country stands united against terrorism.

'Extremely pained by the martyrdom of five army personnel including two captains and three jawans who have made the supreme sacrifice fighting terrorists in Rajouri area of Jammu and Kashmir,' he said in a post on X.

Five army personnel, including two captains, were killed in the operation against the terrorists in the Bajimaal area in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Wednesday.

Those killed in the operation are Captain M V Pranjal of Karnataka's Mangalore area, Captain Shubham Gupta of Uttar Pradesh's Agra, Havaldar Abdul Majid of Ajote in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, Lance Naik Sanjay Bist of Uttarakhand's Halli Padli area and Paratrooper Sachin Laur of Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh.

Two terrorists, including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander trained in Afghanistan, were killed in a 36-hour-long gunfight with security forces on Wednesday and Thursday.