Madhya Pradesh BJP chief and MP Prabhat Jha on Monday conveyed his death wish (Ichchhamratyu) to president Pratibha Patil, seeking her permission to end his life in solidarity with the poor dying due to backbreaking price rise.

His agony is that as a member of parliament he could not sway the government and hence he is putting forth request for "death by wish" as he says: "My life will be of some worth...My becoming a member of parliament will also become worthy of something important. I have nothing with me to offer except my own life."

In a four-page letter shot off to her with copies to the chief justice of India, BJP president Nitin Gadkari and opposition leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, Jha says he chose the drastic step since even the BJP's 'Bharat Bandh' as a collective concern did not move the callous Congress-led UPA government to stop "the game of playing with the life of the poor by raising prices every now and then."

He points out that the UPA came to power back in 2004 promising to bring down prices in 100 days but it failed to control them even after seven years and it has rather made the price rise synonym with death.

Stating that his letter is neither emotional nor for any publicity, Jha says he is writing the letter with anguish and pain as he finds helpless to wipe out agonies of the people as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

"In such a scenario, I find my life meaningless. I believe that it is better to give up life as being a people's representative in the public interest than to witness the death of millions of people," he says, adding that he knows even his death will not have any impact on the Congress-led UPA government to realise its responsibilities towards the people.

"You may well understand my mental agony. While on the one side, the wrong policies and corruption go unchecked under Congress-led UPA government, the game of playing with the life of the poor by raising prices every now and then continues unabated on the other," the letter added.