Updated
New Delhi, Apr 22 (Agencies): A farmer who hanged himself at an AAP rally on Wednesday to protest against the government’s land bill is dead, doctors said.
Doctors at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said that the farmer, identified as Gajender Singh of Rajasthan, was brought dead from the site of the rally where he hanged himself from a tree.
The incident occurred at around 2 pm in the presence of Kejriwal prompting senior AAP leaders to allege that it was an attempt to “sabotage” the rally and slammed the police for being “mute spectators”. Kejriwal said, “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. I am rushing to the hospital with Manish Sisodia”.
AAP leader Somnath Bharti, meanwhile, claimed a conspiracy behind the farmer’s suicide. "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.
There was absolute pandemonium at the Aam Aadmi Party’s Kisan rally after the farmer attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree during the rally. The man was first noticed when he began climbing the tree at around 1:30 pm. Most people at the time thought that the man only wanted to get a better view of the dais, with the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal having arrived only a few moments earlier.
The man, however, proceeded to use a white cloth he was carrying to tie around his neck, and hung himself, with both his arms wrapped around the tree. By this time, however, many police personnel surrounded the tree, but stood in a semi-circle, and did not attempt to bring the man down.
Kumar Vishwas, who had taken to the mike as events unfolded, first exhorted the man to come down. As the situation became increasingly serious, Vishwas then said that the man could meet Arvind Kejriwal if that’s what he wanted, but asked him not to do anything dangerous. As Vishwas realised that the man was not motionless hanging from the tree, an irate Vishwas said, “Police vaha khadi hai. Aap apna kaam kyu nahi kar rahe (Police is standing there. Why are you not doing your work?).”
Indeed, as the police stood motionless for close to ten minutes, five civilians, one wearing an Aam Aadmi Party cap, went up to the tree, and tried to drag the man down. They succeeded in bringing him down to a point, but then had to drop him down to the ground. He was then rushed to a hospital. Some even said that as he was up on the tree, the man threw down a note, but this could not be independently confirmed.
The crowd grew increasingly irate at the police’s inaction, which then resulted in small skirmishes, and pushing and shoving between the police and the crowd.
The rally then resumed once the body was taken away, but Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia then said that he and Kejriwal would possibly go to the hospital.
There are unconfirmed reports that the man was a farmer from Dausa.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday threatened to widen its stir against the Centre if it goes ahead with the contentious land bill as party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a rally in New Delhi against the legislation.
Earlier Updates
AAP holds rally against land bill, vows to fight against 'deadly Act'
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today threatened to widen its stir against the Centre if it goes ahead with the contentious land bill as party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a rally in New Delhi against the legislation.
“Narendra Modi government has been pursuing anti-farmer and anti-poor policies because he has been obliged by the big industrialist, now it is time to pay them back,” senior leader Ashutosh said.
The AAP was today taking out a rally at Jantar Mantar that would be addressed by Kejriwal. It will also stage a march towards Parliament though AAP chief is not likely to join it.
“We warn Modi and his government that AAP will not let that happen and today thousands of farmers are coming from all across the country to register their protest and to tell the government that if it doesn’t stop the Bill from becoming law there would be an all India movement and they would teach the government a lesson,” Ashutosh said.
Lashing out at the Centre, party leader Sanjay Singh said the party will fight against the “deadly Act” tooth and nail.
The party said farmers from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal belt of Uttar Pradesh are participating in the rally to protest against the Bill.
“The BJP says that they have made necessary changes in the Act. This is nothing but a joke. What compelled the BJP to change the provisions of the Act, just after nine months in power. This is nothing but a move to benefit its industrialist friends,” Singh said.
Man attempts suicide at AAP rally
New Delhi, Apr 22 (IANS): A man believed to be a farmer was rushed to a hospital in serious condition here on Wednesday after he hanged himself from a tree at an AAP rally called to protest the land bill.
Aam Aadmi Party volunteers said the man was unconscious and barely breathing when three party activists climbed the tree and brought him down after people saw him hanging.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present when the incident took place at the rally attended by thousands at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital.