BSP leader, hugged by man who set himself on fire during TV show, dies

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader hugged during a television election debate by a ‘human torch’ has died of burn injuries, the family said on Saturday.

The politician died late on Friday in hospital, his family said that after suffering burns to 75 per cent of his body when a member of the audience doused himself in petrol and grabbed him.

The local leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kamruzzama Fauji, and his attacker were engulfed in flames in front of the horrified audience as the television debate was being recorded for broadcast later.

The media had described the attacker as looking like a ‘human torch’. 

The attack occurred as the state-owned national TV channel Doordarshan was recording the debate for broadcast later.