Politics and protests continued on the second day over the tragic death of farmer Gajendra Singh during AAP’s kisan rally at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital. Protesting against a farmer’s suicide at AAP rally in Jantar Mantar, Youth Congress workers held a dharna at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Flagstaff Road residence at Civil lines on Thursday. Meanwhile, demanding action against the Aam Aadmi Party, which had organised the rally, BJP workers also protested at Delhi Police HQs.
The protests by the two parties also led to some major traffic snarls at different locations. Major traffic jams were reported at India Gate, Delhi Gate, Mathura Road, Civil lines, ITO, Mandi House and Tilak Marg, causing serious inconvenience to the commuters. Many commuters were helplessly stuck in the traffic as the snarls lasted for over two hours.
A large number of Youth Congress workers reached CM’s Civil lines residence in the morning demanding his resignation, and raised slogans against him. After being stopped by police barricades, the protesters burnt an effigy of Arvind Kejriwal at the protest site. The protesters said that the Aam Aadmi Party should have tried to save the farmer and they should have stopped the rally once the farmer had tried to commit suicide. “Arvind Kejriwal should resign from his post,” said one of the protesters.
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP, which had planned a protest march from ITO to Kejriwal’s residence around the same time, staged a protest at Delhi Police HQs in Central Delhi where police used water cannons to disperse them.
Under the leadership of Pradesh president Satish Upadhyay, a large number of leaders and workers of the party assembled at Shahidi Park of Delhi Gate area and marched towards the Delhi Government Secretariat raising slogans like Kisan Ke Hatyare Kejriwal, Istifa Do-Istifa Do. Delhi Police used water cannons to stop the protesters but the workers crossed the barricades and proceeded towards ITO. Police lathicharged the demonstrators and detained them near Pearey lal Bhawan.
Delhi BJP Chief Satish Upadhyay alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and demanded that the organisers of the rally be booked for murder. “It is not a suicide but a conspiracy. People there instigated him to commit suicide. He had joined AAP six months ago. Manish Sisodia had invited him here. One of the AAP MlAs tweeted a condolence message 20 minutes before his death,” Upadhyay alleged.
“You continued your rally for 45 minutes even after the death of the farmer. You did not stop your rally. This is a motivated murder and everybody responsible in this case should be booked under charges of murder,” he added.
Addressing the workers assembled at Shahidi Park, he said that the way in which the politicians of Delhi witnessed the tragic suicide of a worker under the influence of political selfishness, they have lost their right to remain in power. He also alleged that Arvind Kejriwal not only failed to discharge his political and administrative responsibility but he also committed murder of humanity by continuing his speech in spite of getting information at the dais about the tragedy.
BJP National Secretary Sardar RP Singh said that it very sad that the Chief Minister who indulges in dialogues even on small matters could not talk to the person trying to commit suicide in the presence of the Aam Aadmi Party workers.
leader of Opposition in Delhi legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta said that the political journey of Kejriwal started with the tragic death in road accident of a worker Sunita Koli, and after witnessing the scene on Wednesday, it seems Kejriwal’s politics is to only exploit public sentiments.
Ramesh Bidhuri said that this tragic incident has not only exposed the politics of Kejriwal but also proved that he is not an agitator but an anarchist leader. Demanding the resignation of Kejriwal, he said that now the BJP workers shall fight against all anti- people activities of this anarchist Government. BJP workers, including Upadhyay and senior leader Jagdish Mukhi, were detained by police.