Raj farmer commits suicide at AAP rally; Kejriwal blames Delhi Police

The man who hanged himself from a tree at the rally was declared dead, when he was taken to the hospital

A farmer named Gajendra Singh from Rajasthan committed suicide at Jantar Mantar, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is holding a protest rally against the Narendra Modi government’s agrarian policy and the Land Acquisition Bill. According to reports, Singh climbed up a tree, used his cloth to make a noose, and hanged himself in full public view. Even though AAP volunteers tried to stop the man and immediately brought him down, he was declared dead on arrival at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. 

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the hospital along with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, blamed the Delhi Police for not saving the man. “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,” said Kejriwal. Sisodia told reporters that the man was from Dausa in Rajasthan. 

AAP leader and Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti termed the suicide a ‘conspiracy’. “Disturbing n shocked to see a young man attempting to commit suicide by hanging from the tree. It seems to be a well thought conspiracy,” he tweeted.

The AAP is protesting against the Narendra Modi-led government's agrarian policies and the land acquisition Bill, which it says is anti-farmer. According to the party, farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha would be participating in the protest, which it says might be extended to other parts of the country if the Modi government goes ahead with the land Bill. 

The AAP had planned a march to Parliament from Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, but it cancelled the march and decided to hold a rally at Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police has reportedly denied permission to the party citing Section 144 being in force in the area as Parliament is in session. 

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had tweeted that it's the AAP government in Delhi which has given the highest compensation to farmers. Last Thursday, the Delhi government had announced a ~36 compensation fund for the farmers hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorm in Delhi. According the Delhi government, crops on 19,000 acres of land and 30,000-40,000 farmers were affected. Kejriwal had announced a compensation of ~20,000 per acre as compensation. 

AAP spokesperson Ashutosh accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of pursuing anti-farmer policies “to oblige industrial houses”. “It portrays that BJP wants to help the corporates who eventually helped them during the elections, which is why they are trying to force this anti-farmer ordinance (land ordinance) as law,” he said.