A 65-year-old Congress worker died during party vice president Rahul Gandhi's rally here, sparking a political controversy in Punjab's Malwa heartland.
A post-mortem was conducted on the body of Mukhtiar Singh of Kapial village at the civil hospital here today, officials said.
Singh's nephew Harnek Singh attributed the death to lack of drinking water facility and ventilation at the rally venue despite sweltering heat.
During his brief address at yesterday's rally, former Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had rued the lack of drinking water facility at the venue of foundation stone laying of Satellite Cancer Hospital of PGIMER here.
Meanwhile, the death of the Congress worker raked up political controversy in the area.
Expressing grief, SAD Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa alleged that the Congress party's claim of a party of 'Aam Aadmi' (common man) turned to be a "hoax".
"The party which cannot protect their own workers how could it manage to protect common men in the country," he claimed.
Dhindsa, however, gave Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal the credit for the setting up of the medical facility.
State BJP secretary Jatinder Kalra said he verified from police present at the venue that the deceased was crying for water before collapsing.
Kalra said he had written to the State and National Human Rights Commission to take cognisance of the incident.
Sangrur SMO Baldev Singh said preliminary investigations revealed that the man died of cardiac arrest caused by lack of water or close environment at the venue.
