Farmer’s ‘suicide’ at AAP rally
NEW DELHI: Gajendra Singh, who committed suicide at Arvind Kejriwal’s rally here, has raised the bar for the Modi government to be seen as sensitive to farmers as it seeks to provide succour to those hit by unseasonal rain and push through the contentious land acquisition bill. The central government could have found itself in a tougher spot had it not been for the AAP leadership’s seemingly insensitive response.
The Rajasthan farmer’s extreme step dramatically amplified the problems created by unseasonal rains, making it imperative for the government to take the extra step to rebut the “anti-farmer” insinuations. While it was already having to deal with the ferocious offensive of political opponents, the afternoon suicide has further shrunk the room for political missteps. But the political optics of government’s keenness on land acquisition could have been irreparably damaged if the Delhi CM and his colleagues had acted more tactfully and showed sensitivity.
Under attack for carrying on with their speeches after Gajendra had hung himself, Kejriwal’s colleagues responded with trademark aggression. Ashutosh mocked the suggestion that AAP leaders should have stopped their speeches and got the distressed farmer down, saying Kejriwal would from now on climb trees if there were similar instances.
Somnath Bharti, ever pugnacious, went a step further as he alleged that the suicide was part of the plot to sabotage the rally, something which at once transformed Gajendra from a farmer, possibly with a fragile mind, driven to despair by the damage caused by unwelcome rains into a an agent of AAP’s political opponents.
Gajendra’s death has saddened the Nation. We are all deeply shattered & disappointed. Condolences to his family.
At no point must the hardworking farmer think he is alone. We are all together in creating a better tomorrow for the farmers of India.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2015
A damage-control exercise got underway, with Ashutosh regretting and retracting his remark. But that did not prove to be adequate, with the attempt by Kejriwal and others like Sanjay Singh to put the blame entirely on Delhi Police failing to find takers even among members and supporters.
Channels showed rallyists lamenting that nobody from among the AAP leaders and MLAs who adorned the dais tried to persuade Gajendra to get down as he remained precariously perched atop the tree threatening to take his life. AAP’s Lok Sabha MP from Patiala, Dharamvir Gandhi, who was removed as leader of the party in Parliament for having opposed the expulsion of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, said the party could not escape blame for the tragedy.
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Source:Timesofindia
