The suicide of a farmer from Rajasthan in full public glare during an AAP rally in the heart of the Capital on Wednesday resonated in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, with members cutting across party lines expressing ‘anguish’ and calling for ‘deep introspection’ by all pillars of democracy.
In a short statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to House at the fag-end of the discussion, said “There is nothing more important than the life of a farmers,” adding that the problem of farmer suicides has been there for long and is a cause of grave concern.
“We have to think where we went wrong, be it earlier or in the last 10 months,” he said, adding that he had an open mind on any suggestion for improving the lot of farmers.
Earlier, addressing the House, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, under whose jurisdiction the Delhi Police lies, termed the incident as “unfortunate and shameful” and appealed that it “should not be politicised”.
Critical of AAP over the incident, he said the crowd gathered for the rally “clapped” and “raised slogans” as the farmer climbed up the tree and ended his life.
“Crowd was clapping. Police requested them to stop raising slogans. Generally, such people (who try to end lives) are engaged in talks to turn their mind but here the crowd kept clapping and raising slogans,” he said, adding that an FIR had been registered and the crime branch would look into the case.
This led to a ruckus, as the Opposition wanted accountability to be fixed and called for a judicial inquiry instead.
“The police enquiry will be one-sided, as it is also at fault,” said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, joined in by other Opposition members.
Congress MP Deepender Hooda called upon the Government to heed to farmers facing crop losses and called for adequate compensation, loan waiver and bonus, backed by other Opposition members.
Despite the Speaker’s plea not to politicise the issue, the discussion took a political hue as BJP members objected to SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann’s speeches that were critical of the Modi Government.
Mann, whose party is under fire for not saving the farmer and has been reportedly named in the FIR, said the deceased farmer was distressed because of the system that is leading to a spate of suicides across States for many years. “We can’t leave farmers to their destiny,’ he said, before being shouted down by some BJP members.
The impromptu discussion took place after Question Hour, as the Speaker disallowed adjournment notices amid protests from the Opposition. However, she later had to adjourn the House as the ruckus continued with the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), among others, trooping to the well, shouting slogans, while the CPI (M) walked out.