New Delhi: He died 'live' on TV as the nation watched in horror. A farmer hanging by a tree in the heart of Delhi while Aam Aadmi Party went on with its rally on farmer distress and land bill.
The man was Gajendra Singh of Nangal Jhamalwaran village in Dausa district of Rajasthan. The 43-year-old father of three was known to be politically ambitious and had made a mark for himself as an expert in tying turbans.
Contrary to earlier assumption that he was a poor farmer who was forced to take the drastic step, those who knew him, including members of his extended family, have asserted that he was not distressed and came from a well-to-do family.
In fact, now questions are being asked on his portrayal as a farmer. His family has claimed that he was not a full-time farmer though he had ancestral land. The standing crop in his farm was also damaged in the unseasonal rains but the damage was to the tune of just 20-25%, people in his village claimed.
Gajendra was politically ambitious and had even contested the assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket after first starting out with the BJP. He later got involved with the Aam Aadmi Party, reports said.
His family members claimed that he had left for Delhi 3-4 days ago. While leaving he had told them that he will try to meet Arvind Kejriwal.
After he committed 'suicide', one of his relatives claimed that Gajendra had met Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence just hours before he hung himself from a tree at Jantar Mantar.
The other highlight of his personality was his turban-making skills. Gajendra could tie a turban in less than a minute and was most sought after during weddings and political rallies in Rajasthan.
In 2010, Gajendra had won the Mr Desert title, a Rajasthani cultural pageant.
