Shastriji's house remains locked on 103rd birth anniversary

Varanasi, Oct 2 (UNI) A big lock dangled outside the ancestral house of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Ramnagar area here today, even as the nation observed the 103rd birth anniversary of the inspirational leader with gaeity and fervour.

Students of the Kali Das Shikshan Sansthan (KDSS), somehow managed to climb into the paternal house only to find the condition of the house inside appalling.

''It is sad that neither any official function has been organised at the ancestral house by the local authorities nor the locks of the house have been opened for public to offer tributes to the diminutive leader,'' said Arvind and Ravi Shankar, students of KDSS.

Two years ago, the Uttar Pradesh government had announced to build a memorial at the house of the former Prime Minister and since then no public function is held to mark the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri there.

When contacted about the locks outside the house and absence of any function to mark his 103rd anniversary, Additional District Magistrate Indra Vikram Singh said, ''I am sleeping now.'' Passing the buck at the Culture Department, Mr Singh, said ''These works are not to be looked by the District administration. It is the task of Culture Department so better enquire about the entire episode from them only.'' No official of the Culture Department, including Regional Cultural Officer, L K Dwivedi could be contacted in this regard.

Angered by absence of any function, at the site, prominent people, including Chairman of Ramnagar Nagar Palika Rekha Sharma and local corporator Santosh Sharma staged a protest demonstration at the road crossing leading to Shastriji's house.

''Two years back, the Mulayam Singh Yadav government announced converting the house into a national memorial but much money has gone down the drain and no work has taken place. Instead, locks have been placed outside Shastriji's house, impeding the entry of people to even celebrate his birth anniversary,'' Santosh Sharma alleged.

UNI