Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met with the family of late basketball player Hardik Rathi in Rohtak’s Lakhan Majra village on Tuesday, assuring them that there would be no compromise on players’ safety in the state.
Rathi’s father and other family members called on Mann at the CM’s residence. Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda and Haryana unit president Dr Sushil Gupta were also present.
Rathi died two months ago after a rusted iron pole of a basketball hoop fell on him during practice in Rohtak. After the meeting, Dhanda alleged that the incident was not the result of a natural disaster, but a consequence of “gross negligence” and “governmental apathy” towards sports infrastructure in Haryana. “During that difficult time, Bhagwant Mann himself visited Lakhan Majra and stood with the family. Today, the family openly shared how a talented player lost his life due to the lack of better facilities and a safe sports environment,” Dhanda said.
In a press statement, Mann said that the AAP government does not limit sports to speeches alone and is constructing around 3,000 modern stadiums, with world-class facilities, safe infrastructure, and complete arrangements for the all-round development of youth.
He further said that the incident has once again called into question the working style of the BJP government and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in Haryana. “Haryana was once considered a nursery for sports talent, and today its players are forced to practice at dilapidated stadiums with broken equipment and unsafe infrastructure. Saini and his government are sitting with their eyes closed,” Mann claimed.
Dhanda demanded that the Haryana BJP government immediately conduct a safety audit of all sports complexes, take strict action against the guilty, and ensure justice for the player’s family.
