The suicide by a farmer at a rally addressed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today triggered a blame game with AAP and BJP attacking each other for the tragedy.
The Congress targeted both AAP and BJP for the suicide by Gajendra Singh, a distressed farmer from Rajasthan, demanding registration of a case of abetment to suicide against the Centre and Delhi governments.
Under fire over the land acquisition bill in Parliament and outside, BJP slammed Kejriwal for continuing with his speech at the rally even as the tragedy unfolded at Jantar Mantar, a stone's throw from Parliament House.
"I want to ask all those leaders of AAP, what is more important? A life is important or politics is more important? A life is more important or your career is more important? Your wish to become something is more important or your wish to save the man who is dying is more important?
"This is a conspiracy, Sir. You knew what was happening but still decided to do your politics. You knew very well that when poor Gajendra Singh jumped from the tree he had committed suicide. Mr Arvind Kejriwal, sir, you knew very well that he had died. Still you did not decide to keep quiet. You still tried to score those political brownie points," BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said.
Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay also demanded that an FIR be registered against the organisers of the rally.
"It is a case of murder and the entire matter be investigated," he demanded.
The Aam Aadmi Party, however, cried "sabotage" and accused the police of being "mute spectators" to the tragedy and blamed the Delhi police, which functions under the Centre, for it.
Facing criticism over the incident that took place in full public view in the presence of a battery of its top leaders, 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."
Senior AAP leaders Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh later held a press conference where they blamed the Delhi police for doing nothing to save the farmer's life even after being told to do so.
"A case of abetment of suicide should be lodged against the central government and the state government....The two persons who can be held most responsible for the suicide are Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Chief Minister (Arvind) Kejriwal," said Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, however, was a little guarded when he said he did not wish to make any statements in "this hour of grief" but assured the farmers that his party would stand strongly behind them and will not allow anyone to take away their land. He also asked Youth Congress workers to help transport the farmer's body to his hometown.
Describing the incident as "sad", CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said it was a sign of how deep the agrarian crisis in the country was and how unhappy the farmers were, and advised the government to think about it.
