PIL against Gajendra Singh's martyr status: HC seeks Delhi government's reply
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the city government's response on a PIL challenging its decision to declare as "martyr" a Rajasthan farmer who had allegedly hanged himself at an AAP rally in New Delhi.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw asked Delhi government's standing counsel to take instructions on the PIL filed by a lawyer who also sought directions to restrain the Arvind Kejriwal government from putting up a statue in memory of the farmer Gajendra Singh Kalyanwat. "The standing counsel for Delhi government seeks time to get instruction regarding the averment made in the petition. The same is allowed," the bench said. Government's standing counsel Raman Duggal agreed to get instructions over the issue, saying he has not received the copy of the petition.
The court, meanwhile, declined the petitioner's request to restrain Delhi government from putting up the statue of the deceased farmer, saying, "there is no material before us about the cabinet decision."
"Let the counsel for Delhi government take instructions and come," the bench said while posting the matter for further hearing on July 1.
The court was hearing the petition filed by advocate Avadh Kaushik seeking directions to restrain them "from glorifying, justifying, supporting, propagating and consecrating the act of suicide committed by the politician-cum-farmer on April 22, 2015 at Jantar Mantar."
The incident had occurred during an anti-land bill rally called by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The petition has also sought directions to Delhi Police to "not grant any permission to any person, party or group to stage any kind of 'dharna' or protest at Jantar Mantar" in future.
In his plea, the petitioner opposed city government's decision to not only to declare Gajender as a 'martyr' but also its move to launch a Farmers' Compensation Scheme after his name, apart from promising government job to one of his kin on compassionate ground.
"This act of respondent 1 (Delhi government) was nothing but an effort to glorify, justify, praise, support and consecrate the act of suicide, attempt thereof itself is an offence under section 309 of Indian Penal Code, 1860," the petition said.
It also contended that the government's decision was also "a kind of abatement and temptation to others to commit such a criminal and cowardly act which is not only prejudicial to public interest but also a hostile attitude to the sanctity of life and thus, nobody, what to talk about the government, can support and glorify such an act."
The plea has also opposed the Delhi Police's decision to invite and welcome public at large, by way of advertisement, to come to Jantar Mantar and stage protests there, saying the police should instead prohibit and restrain such activity there, which was a historical monument meant and maintained for tourism.
