Money was not a problem, say Gajendra Singh's family

New Delhi: While home minister Rajnath Singh and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will come face-to-face at the zonal council meet of CMs of the northern states convened by the MHA on Saturday, senior MHA officials have begun meetings with the officers of both the Delhi police and the Delhi government. The MHA is considering a CBI probe on the matter if the state government is on board. The victim’s family has also sought a CBI probe as they have “doubts about the incident”.

Sources said the MHA was discussing the demand for a CBI probe with officials of the state government and the Delhi police after Gajendra Singh’s family made such a demand. While a final view is yet to be taken, sources say that since the national capital is a Union territory with special status, the MHA can directly order a CBI inquiry. However, the ministry will first elicit the views of the Delhi government and the police on the matter.

Home minister Rajnath Singh is keen to resolve all the jurisdictional issues to enable an “impartial and speedy’” probe into the alleged suicide of the Dausa farmer as he had promised Parliament on Friday.

While the political blame game on the issue continued, the Delhi CM apologised for not calling off the rally as the tragedy unfolded and admitted his making a speech was a “mistake”. The AAP supremo also attacked the media and the Opposition parties, saying the debate had veered away from the “real issue” of farmers’ plight. An AAP spokesman later said the CM had spoken over the telephone to the family of the deceased farmer.

In a damage control exercise, some AAP representatives, including Sanjay Singh, met the deceased’s family a day after his last rites, and told them the Delhi government will consider their demands, including “martyr’s status” for the farmer and a “government job” for his kin. The AAP leader handed a '10-lakh compensation cheque to the farmer’s family and also showed them a video clip in support of the party’s claim that AAP leaders were not responsible for the incident.

However, Gajendra Singh’s father, Banne Singh, said nothing can satisfy him. Rejecting Mr Kejriwal’s apology over the tragedy, he said: “I have lost my young son. Can any apology or any other move satisfy me as a father? Despite being a politician of such stature, he wants to suffice with a mere apology. We welcome that Sanjay Singh came and shared our grief.”

Another AAP leader, Ashutosh, “broke down” on TV when deceased farmer Gajendra Singh’s daughter posed questions to him on her father’s death. This was when Megha, a 17-year-old Class 12 student, asked why had AAP leaders continued with their speeches as her father hanged himself at the Jantar Mantar rally on Wednesday.