Farmer suicide: AAP accuses Rajnath of 'lying'

Party also accused the BJP-led central government of using Delhi Police as a 'tool' to target AAP

AAP today accused Home Minister Rajnath Singh of "lying" in Lok Sabha that its volunteers raised slogans disregarding police requests as farmer Gajendra Singh hanged himself from a tree during the party's rally at Jantar Mantar here.

The party also charged the BJP-led central government with using Delhi Police as a "tool" to target AAP.

"The Home Minister is lying and giving misleading statements. It is the Union government's ploy to target AAP using the Delhi Police... Media recorded the incident as it happened and should put out the tapes in public to establish the truth," party spokesperson Sanjay Singh said.

The party also declared monetary assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased farmer and promised to support his children's education.

"You must have seen that we were requesting the police to rescue him. Please show the truth as to whether we have incited anyone. At least tell the truth on the floor of the house. You (the government) are using the plank of the police in your statement," senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said at a press conference.

Vishwas said an AAP delegation led by Sanjay Singh will visit the native village of the farmer in Rajasthan's Dausa tomorrow.

The party parried questions on reports that the farmer was invited by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to the rally, saying that the Delhi government had already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the case.

"Yesterday it was announced that magisterial inquiry would be initiated in the case. But Delhi Police has refused to cooperate but the inquiry will take that into account," Singh said.

In his statement in the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister suggested that the police took prompt steps to tackle the situation by calling the police control room and ordering help from the fire brigade to bring him down from the tree.

"Crowd was clapping. Police requested them to stop raising slogans. Generally, such people (who try to end lives) are engaged in talks to turn their mind but here the crowd kept clapping and raising slogans," he said, responding to an impromptu debate on the matter in Lok Sabha.