Azamgarh (UP):
A Dalit leader and former BSP functionary on Monday allegedly committed suicide in the collectorate compound in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, police said.
Baliram Prasad (65), who was presently associated with Ambedkar Samaj Party, sprinkled kerosene and set himself ablaze in the Ambedkar Park within the collectorate compound, Superintendent of Police Vijay Singh Meena said.
He succumbed to injuries while being taken to hospital. A suicide note was found in his pocket which read that he was frustrated with the present state of affairs and working style of peoples' representatives and was taking the extreme step due it, the SP said.
The note also said that leaders like him have toiled hard all their lives but were today facing bad times and it was most unfortunate, the SP added.
In his suicide note, Prasad, who was a resident of Harbanspur locality, said he and other leaders like him struggled life-long to get Dalits and poor rid of social evils but in the present times also they are being subjected to atrocities and no one is listening to them.
"Statues of Babasaheb are being damaged", he said adding that seeing what is being done with Dalits and poor he has lost all hope and has no strength left to continue his struggle and so is taking his life in desperation.