In the video, Rajiv Tomar opens a package and devours its contents as his wife tries to stop him.
Baghpat:
A trader in Uttar Pradesh took to Facebook live on Tuesday and drank poison, blaming heavy losses, in a disturbing video that went viral ahead of polls in the state. Rajiv Tomar, a shoe trader in Baghpat – one of the towns voting tomorrow – survived but his wife died.
In the chilling video, Rajiv Tomar, 40, tearfully opens a package and swallows its contents as his wife tries to stop him. She even managed to make him spit it out before moving out of frame. Poonam Tomar, 38, is alleged to have taken the poison after she failed to stop her husband from taking it.
“I think I have the right to freedom of speech. I will pay the debts that I have. Even if I die I will pay. But I ask everyone to share this video as much as possible. I am not a person. treason but i have faith in the country But i want to say to Modi-ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) you are not wiser towards small traders and farmers. Change the policy. yours,” said Mr. Tomar through tears.
The shoe dealer complained that the GST (Goods and Services Tax) was levied on his business.
People who watched them live on Facebook called the police, who took them to the hospital. Rajiv Tomar is critical, but his wife is dead.
Father of two, Tomar is said to have struggled financially for a while. Just a day before he contemplated suicide, he posted a picture taken with his two sons aged 15 and 11.
His stunned relatives say they never realized he was in crisis. “He’s a very happy person. Now it looks like he’s dealing with depression. But he’s never told us that he’s facing any problems. Actually In fact, he’s someone who solves other people’s problems,” said his uncle, VK Tomar.
But other merchants operating near Tomar’s showroom admit that the pandemic has adversely affected business.
On his personal Facebook page, Tomar once shared posts in support of BJP. He is seen in photographs with several BJP leaders, including MP Baghpat Satyapal Singh, MP Muzaffarnagar Sanjeev Balyan and Union Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. But neighbors say he has no official affiliation with the party.
The two-minute video has been widely commented on and has drawn reactions from politicians, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. “Extremely saddened to learn of the suicide attempt of a businessman and his wife in Baghpat and the death of his wife. My condolences to the family members. I pray God for Shri. Rajiv ji recovers soon,” she wrote.
Speaking to reporters at the unveiling of the Congressional manifesto, Priyanka Gandhi said: “We are seeing this kind of suffering among small traders, businesses all over UP. Bankruptcy, GST and locking the door hurt them the most.”
