I made mistake. I should have called off the rally: Kejriwal on farmer’s suicide at AAP rally

“I honestly believe that even the AAP volunteers didn't think that he would jump”

GN Staff | April 24, 2015


#AAP   #Arvind Kejriwal   #Gajendra Singh   #suicide   #farmer  

“I made a mistake. I should have called off the rally," said Arvind Kejriwal on Friday.

Speaking to media the Delhi chief minister and AAP leader said "I admit it was my mistake I shouldn't have spoken but I said I didn't feel like talking during my speech."

As conflicting versions and legal issues crop up over farmer Gajndra Singh's suicide at Aaam Aadmi Party inDelhi on Wednesday, Kejriwal said "I think I was wrong to speak on the stage when we heard of farmer's suicide attempt."

"I apologise if someone's sentiments have been hurt," he said.

"I am saying I am guilty, can we now start talking about the farmers?" Kejriwal countered when pressed on the matter.

"When we were on stage, because of the bushes surrounding the tree, what was going on wasn't clearly visible. Some AAP volunteers came to us and said that something was wrong.”

"We couldn't announce that there was something wrong because then, the people would run to the tree. It would have caused great chaos," Kejriwal said.

"I honestly believe that even the AAP volunteers didn't think that he (Gajendra Singh) would jump," said Kejriwal.

He said the person responsible for Gajendra Singh's death should be hanged.

Cong and BJP react

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shobha Oza said that the incident could have been avoided if Kejirwal had been sensitive enough. "If the CM was sensitive enough, I am confident that farmer could have been saved," she said.

On the other hand, BJP lashed out at the Delhi CM and said that his politics was based on 'allegations, accuses and blame games'.

"It is ironical that Arvind Kejriwal is apologising. His politics is based on allegations, accuses and blame games," said BJP's Nalin Kohli.

Another BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao said, "I hope AAP leaders will realise the manner in which they politicised the issue...I think today, after having seen the public outcry and media reaction over the issue, Kejriwal sounded reasonable."

"I think the Delhi government will now stop getting into confrontation with the Delhi police," Rao added.

Comment should be much more responsible

Congress leader Sheila Dikshit said she did not want to comment on what Kejriwal had said but added that he shouldn't politicise the issue of Gajendra Singh's suicide.

On the issue of AAP workers allegedly instigating the farmer to commit suicide, Sheila Dikshit said, "If what you're saying is true, it is not right for a ruling party. You (Kejriwal) are running a government. At first, you used to keep holding dharnas. But politicising someone's death like this is not right."

"As a chief minister, his statement should be much more responsible and should meet with the challenges that come up due to a tragedy like this," said Dikshit.

 

Comments

 

Other News

How Rafi, Raj Kapoor helped pave the way for a great uranium deal

There`s a certain moment in diplomacy that`s too personal to be captured in a communiqué, too small to make the front page, but more revealing than the front page. This week, prime minister Narendra Modi reached Tashkent and, amid the pomp of state visits, managed to evoke the old Bollywood tunes

Distinguishing Fish 1 and Fish 2: The pragmatism behind India’s WTO ratification

 India became the 123rd WTO member to ratify the multilateral Agreement on Fisheries subsidies (AoFS) when it deposited the Instrument of Acceptance for Phase 1 on July 20, 2026. The ratification is restricted to disciplining Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU), protection for overfished

The 7% growth problem: Why the next 7% will be harder

India has become accustomed to hearing the 7% growth number. It is now less a milestone than an expectation. Yet the paradox is becoming clearer: maintaining 7% growth may be considerably harder than achieving it once. India’s real GDP grew 7.7% in FY2025–26, following growth of 6.5% in FY202

The Constitution cannot be altered: Justice Abhay Oka

Justice Abhay Oka, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2025, has said that the Constitution of India cannot be altered. Explaining the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) on the basic structure of the Constitution, he said, “This is one judgment that has saved democracy in India.&rdq

How the flora and fauna evolved in the Indian subcontinent

Mammals of India  By A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer HarperCollins India in association with Bombay Natural History Society  

India`s renewable race is moving beyond megawatts

When Shell bought Sprng Energy in 2022, India`s renewable energy market appeared to offer precisely what global energy majors were seeking: scale, growth and a place in one of the world`s largest energy transitions. Four years later, Shell is selling the same business to Aditya Birla Group for an enterpris

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter