Tragedy at AAP anti-Land Bill rally: Farmer commits suicide

Tragedy struck the Aam Aadmi Party's anti-Land Bill rally as a farmer committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree at the rally at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday.

Even though AAP volunteers tried to stop the farmer from committing the act and brought him down from the tree and rushed him to a hospital, he could not be saved.

The man was immediately rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Dr. Sunil Saxena, head of Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, said, "The farmer was brought dead."

Meanwhile, politics has already started over the tragic incident as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that police did not listen to him as it was not under his control.

"Delhi Police did not try to stop the farmer from committing suicide," Kejriwal said.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken also rushed to the hospital. He said, "The organisers could have been more sympathetic and more responsible. The police could have been more responsible."

Former Dausa MP and Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, "We will extend all possible help to victim. There is no one to take care of farmers at this moment. No one tried to save the farmer."

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the farmer who committed suicide was from Dausa in Rajasthan.

Kejriwal is leading a protest rally against the new Land Bill at Jantar Mantar in the national capital. AAP workers and supporters will march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament even though Delhi Police has already denied permission to the party to hold the rally.

Section 144 of CrPC is already in place in New Delhi area as Parliament is in session. Senior officers of Delhi Police said that action will be taken against anyone violating prohibitory orders.

Additional forces are to be positioned to prevent AAP supporters from marching towards Parliament.

The AAP is demanding withdrawal of the land ordinance saying that cosmetic amendments will not work. The party has backed UPA's version of the Land Bill.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, "The BJP's Land Ordinance is a 'black law' and we will protest against it. Just changing a few sections of the Bill won't do good. 80 per cent farmers consent was needed earlier and it was changed by the NDA. Earlier fertile land couldn't be taken over, that will change."

Promising to stand by farmers in their hour of need, another AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said, "Farmers have not been given any support by the government. We want the Prime Minister to intervene and give relief to farmers. We don't want to politicise the issue. We will stand by farmers."