Rajasthan farmer commits suicide as Kejriwal holds rally

Politics over suicide as allegations of inaction fly thick and high

GN Staff | April 22, 2015


#famer   #land bill   #arvind kejriwal   #aap   #bjp   #congress   #rahul gandhi   #rajasthan  

Politicians never learn especially Indian politicians about propriety.  A farmer committed suicide during AAP's rally in Delhi against the controversial land acquisition bill and the political parties began their blame game soon after the tragic incident.

The dramatic death of Gajendra Singh has become a political drama, with the Aam Aadmi Party blaming Delhi Police and the BJP and the Congress attacking Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP.

AAP leaders accused the police of not acting in time. AAP leader also blamed Modi's BJP, saying the controversial land bill and their failure to look after farmers was the reason for the suicide.

And the most damning attitude was displayed by senior AAP leader Ashotosh, who asked, "should the Delhi CM have climbed the tree? Next time will tell the CM to climb the tree."

On the other hand, the BJP and Congress attacked Kejriwal for continuing with the rally even after news of the suicide spread.
Kejriwal said, "We kept asking the police to bring him down. Police may not be in our control but at least there should be a semblance of humanity among them."

Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken remarked that both the AAP and police should have taken steps to avoid the suicide.
BJP spokesman Sambit Patra asked: "Why didn't the AAP leaders stop the farmer from committing suicide?"

The farmer from Rajasthan committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in full public view just before Kejriwal was to speak at the AAP rally in Delhi even as appeals from those around to desist from taking the extreme step had fallen on deaf ears.

Gajendra Singh climbed a neem tree in Jantar Mantar, the venue of anti-land bill rally, and put his 'gamcha' (towel) around his neck. He tied the other end to a branch.

In a bid to draw attention to the plight of farmers who have suffered losses in the recent rains, he raised slogans. AAP volunteers appealed to him to come down and some of them even climbed the tree to bring him down.

But before they could reach him, Singh had hung himself. He was rushed to the nearby Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. The  doctors tried to revive him but shortly later declared him "brought dead".

Gajendra Singh, a resident of Nangal Jhamarwada village in Dausa, left a suicide note written in Hindi stating that he has three children and had been disowned by his father after their crops were destroyed in last month's rains and hailstorm. His family members phone numbers were scribbled on the piece of paper.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited the hospital. He later told the media: "We are with the farmer's family. We will help them."
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje termed the farmer's suicide as tragic, saying prompt action could have saved a precious life. "All necessary steps will be taken, including compensation," she added.

“Deeply pained to hear the news of farmer committing suicide at Jantar Mantar. Have instructed Delhi Police Commissioner to institute an inquiry into it,” said home minister Rajnath Singh. Later,  Delhi police commissioner BS Bassi ordered a probe into the Jantar Mantar suicide incident to be headed by a Joint CP.
 

Comments

 

Other News

“India AI Impact Expo a powerful convergence of ideas, innovation & intent”

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the India AI Impact Expo 2026 as a powerful convergence of ideas, innovation, and intent. Sharing highlights of the event’s inauguration, he said the Expo, which got underway here on Monday, highlighted the extraordinary potential of Indian talent in sha

BMC polls: 24% winners have declared criminal cases against themselves

As many as 54 (or 24%) out of the 227 winning candidates of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Maharashtra Election Watch.   As many as 29 (13

PM`s first decisions from Seva Teerth reflect spirit of Seva

In his very first set of decisions after shifting to Seva Teerth, the new address of the PMO, PM Narendra Modi signed important files relating to decisions that reflect the spirit of Seva. These decisions touch every section of society: farmers, women, youth, and vulnerable citizens. 1.

AI@Work: Driving productivity, jobs, and innovation

Key Takeaways     India ranks 3rd in Stanford University`s 2025 Global AI Vibrancy Ranking.     Data infrastructure, entrepreneurship and demography are key enablers for AI adoption.     In India the relative penetration of AI skills was 2.5 ti

Urban Blind Spot: Animals, governance, and the cost of ignoring coexistence

India’s cities are expanding at an unprecedented pace, absorbing people, infrastructure, and economic activity at scale. What urban governance frameworks have been slower to absorb is a reality already playing out on the ground: animals are an inseparable part of urban life. From community dogs and p

How India uses AI in the field of culture and languages

* India is institutionalising AI for culture and languages through national platforms such as BHASHINI, Anuvadini, Gyan Bharatam and Adi Vaani etc. * AI is being used to make cultural and knowledge assets usable by digitisation of manuscripts, translation of academic content, and in


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter