A farmer who hanged himself at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where the Aam Aadmi Party was holding a Kisan Rally to protest the BJP's land acquisition bill, was declared dead by the doctors at a city hospital. The man, identified as Gajender Singh from Dausa in Rajasthan, attempted suicide shortly after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal arrived at the rally.

Singh was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. He was recorded by TV cameras sitting on the tree for about half an hour. As soon as he was seen hanging, AAP volunteers climbed up the tree to try to prevent his death.

In a note Singh left behind, he had mentioned his and his family's phone number. According to reports, he had three children.

Dausa MP Sachin Pilot, who visited the farmer in the hospital, said the AAP should have stopped its rally after he hanged himself. "I heard that the rally continued and nobody tried to prevent his death. That is unfortunate," he told reporters. "Was the finishing speech more important?" he asked.

Kejriwal visited the hospital after his speech at the rally. "Before our eyes he climbed the tree. I kept telling the police to save him. But the police are not in our control, but at least he is under God's control.  I am sad that he climbed the tree in front of us but nobody tried to stop him," he said.

- Manohar