HC seeks Delhi's response to 'glorifying' farmer's suicide

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the city government's response to a petition challenging its decision to label Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan who allegedly committed suicide during a recent AAP rally, as a "martyr" and to stop "glorifying" his death.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw asked the Delhi government to file its response on the plea by July 1, which also challenged the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) decision to launch a farmers' compensation scheme named after Gajendra Singh.

"Is there any cabinet decision in this regard? Get instruction, we will see then," the bench asked advocate Raman Duggal, who was representing the Delhi government.

The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Avadh Kaushik alleged that the action of the AAP government to label Gajendra Singh as a "martyr" and name the compensation scheme after him amounted to "abetment of suicide".

He argued that the act of the Delhi government of glorifying such an act of "cowardice" was not justified.

"After the suicide of Gajendra Singh Kalyanwat, the Delhi government has decided not only to declare him a 'martyr' but also launch a farmers' compensation scheme after his name apart from promising a government job to one of his kin on compassionate grounds.

"This act of the Delhi government is nothing but an effort to glorify, justify, praise, support and consecrate the act of suicide; attempt thereof itself is an offence under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860," the PIL said.

It sought directions for the Arvind Kejriwal government to restrain itself "from glorifying, justifying, supporting, propagating and consecrating" the act.

On April 22, Gajendra Singh allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree at Jantar Mantar during an anti-land bill rally called by the AAP.

The AAP government has started the Gajendra Singh Kisan Sahayata Yojana for Delhi farmers whose crops were destroyed by recent unseasonal rains.