Farmer hangs himself at AAP rally

‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan,’ he signed off

April 22, 2015 03:36 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 11:07 pm IST - New Delhi

Gajender Singh, the farmer from Rajasthan who committed suicide at the venue of a rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party here in protest against the land acquisition Bill, had reportedly thrown a suicide note just before he hanged himself from a tree.

The crumpled note in Hindi, some of the words illegible, said he was from Dausa district and was thrown out of the house by his father, also a farmer, because his crops got destroyed. He had two daughters and one son. The signed note ends with “Tell me a way to go home. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.”

Won several awards

Eyewitnesses said they had seen Mr. Singh writing the suicide note atop the tree.

Reports said he was an expert in tying turbans and had won several awards at traditional competitions in the State.

Contested election

Sources said Mr. Singh was a public figure who contested an election on the Samajwadi Party ticket around a decade ago.

It is stated that he was taking the extreme step because he had been turned out of his house by his father due to a destroyed harvest this year.

Mr. Singh hung himself in public view from a tree branch even as those below requested him not to take the plunge. Disregarding their requests, he jumped with a noose around his neck before it gave way and sent him plummeting to the ground below. In the same note, Mr. Singh had mentioned that he was a father of three children.

The police said he was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital where he was declared brought dead. AAP volunteers allege the man had climbed the tree at least an hour before he took the extreme step and it was brought to the knowledge of the policemen who were on duty at the venue of the rally but they failed to act.

Party volunteers also said the man was unconscious and barely breathing when three party activists climbed the tree and brought him down after people saw him hanging at Jantar Mantar.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said man who attempted suicide was from Rajasthan. "We and the (Delhi) government are with the family of the farmer," said Mr. Sisodia.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present when the incident took place at the rally, which was attended by thousands at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the national capital.

Senior AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Dr. Kumar Vishwas blamed the police for Mr. Singh's suicide pointing out that no one from the force moved even a muscle to come to his aid.

“The Delhi Police is working in accordance with a conspiracy hatched by the Narendra Modi-led Central Government to discredit the AAP government; they might not answer to us, but they are, like everyone, answerable to God,” said Mr. Sisodia.

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