Shakuntala (left), the mother of farmer Gajendra Singh
An apology offered in Delhi by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was followed by leaders from his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) driving through the dusty streets of Dausa to the small home of
Gajendra Singh, the farmer who was found dead hanging from a tree at a rally on Wednesday.
The AAP delegation to Gajendra Singh's home was led by Sanjay Singh. He brought a cheque of Rs 10 lakh for the farmer's family and a video that shows AAP workers exhorting the farmer to return to safety. Mr Kejriwal also phoned Gajendra Singh's family today.
This morning, he admitted that he had been
wrong to continue with his speech after the farmer was spotted high in a tree at his public meeting. Mr Kejriwal stressed that at the time, he thought the farmer from Rajasthan was alive. "If I hurt anyone's sentiments, I apologise," the Delhi Chief Minister said.
Gajendra Singh's family bristles at what it describes as a sort of conditional apology; relatives said
they want a CBI inquiry to determine why Gajendra Singh died - he was not suicidal, they say, dismissing a nine-line note found by AAP workers near his body as false evidence. Today, they showed reporters the farmer's diary to prove his handwriting does not match the note.
"The apology came after 48 hours, it is too late," said Gajendra Singh's daughter Megha. "My father didn't plan to commit suicide, others made him do it," she added.
The farmer is survived by 35-year-old wife and three young children.
Between the camera crews and the stream of VIP visitors, Gajendra Singh's family is suddenly the heart of a grotesque reality show that commenced with his tragic death and the images of his body being lowered from the tree into a sheet.
Before the AAP delegation arrived this morning, a minister from the BJP state government in Rajasthan visited with a cheque for Rs four lakh.
His 70-year-old mother Shakuntala has a question for Mr Kejriwal. "Can an apology bring my son back?" she asks, sitting on a
chataai (mat). "If so, I fall at your feet and beg for forgiveness, now let that bring my son back to me."