Burning man embraces politician during live TV debate

Chaos ensued in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh when a man set himself on fire and grabbed hold of a politician during the live recording of a television news debate in a local district. The politician was also severely burned during the incident.While the assailant succumbed to his injuries, the victim has been hospitalized and remains in critical condition, according to local police.On the evening of April 28th, India's state-owned national television channel, Doordarshan was recording an election show in a local park in Sultanpur, a town located about 100 miles from the city of Lucknow. According to a police statement, a man identified as Durgesh Kumar Singh emerged from a crowd of spectators, set himself ablaze with gasoline, and threw himself on Kamruzzama Fauji, a local politician from the Bahujan Samaj Party, a national political party."People were just too shocked to know what was happening," local photographer Pankaj Kumar Gupta told reporters.Both men were taken to a city hospital. Singh died Tuesday night and Fauji remains in critical condition, with 80 percent burns, police said.The Superintendent of Police for Sultanpur district, Pratibha Ambedkar, was preparing for a visit by the state Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav when she got a call from her office about a man threatening to self-immolate. "By the time we reached there, he had already set himself ablaze," Ambedkar told CNN.35-year-old Singh had previously worked at a flour mill in Amethi, a neighboring district.His motives have yet to be confirmed. However, according to police, the man's family claims that he was being treated for mental instability. "Before the incident, the man also made a call to the local police control room complaining of harassment from his family," said Ambedkar.India is in the midst of its nationwide parliamentary elections, which conclude May 12. During elections, several news channels often stage shows in villages and towns across the country, engaging politicians with local voters.Voting in Uttar Pradesh, one of the country's populous states began Wednesday morning.(CNN)ANN.Az