Rajasthan farmer cremated, family lashes out at AAP

Farmer Gajendra Singh, who committed suicide during an AAP rally in Delhi, was cremated on Thursday in his native village in Rajasthan. His family members hit out at the party over his death, saying no leader tried to dissuade him.

"Why did no one try to stop him from climbing the tree? Why did no leader of the Aam Aadmi Party try to dissuade him? There are lots of questions that remain to be answered. We hold police and the AAP leadership responsible for the death. If any of them had acted swiftly, he could have been saved," Gajendra Singh's uncle Gopal Singh told IANS.

Earlier in the day, Gajendra Singh was cremated in his native village Nangal Jhamarwara in Dausa district. Teary-eyed people shouted slogans as his last rites were performed.

Gopal Singh even raised questions about the suicide note, saying the handwriting does not seem to be that of Gajendra Singh.

"He was troubled and disturbed for the last couple of months but no one in the family could ever think or believe that he would commit suicide," he said.

"We (the family) are presently passing through a lot of stress, strain and depression. We are really not in the right state of mind to think what we should do next."

Gopal Singh said Gajendra Singh's father Bane Singh "has been crying since he heard the news".

"It has been difficult for us to control him as he also fainted a couple of times while crying and we had to seek the help of a doctor," he said.

"The condition of his three children and his wife is similar as they have been crying for hours now."

People present at the cremation shouted slogans against the Vasundhara Raje government and the AAP.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and other party leaders met his family and tried to console them.

"We are shocked and depressed," said a villager.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, in a statement, expressed profound grief over the death and termed the incident "very tragic".

In her condolence message, Raje prayed to god to give strength to the bereaved family members to bear this huge loss and grant peace to the departed soul.

She said the Rajasthan government was with the farmers in every circumstance, was committed to their welfare and was ceaselessly working in their interest.