AAP's Ashutosh breaks down on live TV, Gajendra's family not moved

The family of Gajendra Singh, the farmer from Rajasthan who hanged himself during an Aam Aadmi Party rally at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, was on Friday not moved by the tears shed byAAP spokesperson Ashutosh during a discussion on Aaj Tak. Watch Video 

"If he had only taken out two minutes of time that day, the tragedy would not have happened," Gajendra's younger brother Devendra Singh said. "We want to ask Ashutoshji now that he is expressing his sentiments, wasn't he present at the rally that day?" he said. 

Earlier, TV journalist-turned-politician Ashutosh broke down on live television as he talked to Megha, the daughter of Gajendra Singh. "I am your guilty, Megha. I could not prevent the death of your father," he said crying profusely. "I hope you are able to forgive me for your father's death," he said.

"I didn't enter politics for this kind of blame game. I want to request Rajnath Singh, Ajay Maken and Sambit Patra to stop politicising the death of a farmer," a tearful Ashutosh said, appealing with folded hands to stop his rivals from raking up the issue.

BJP spokesperson Patra, who was a part of the panel discussion on Aaj Tak, said he is not interested either in politicising the issue. "I understand his tears. I don't want to play the blame game either," he said.

On Wednesday, shortly after Gajendra committed suicide at Jantar Mantar, Ashutosh in a press conference had said one could not have expected Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to climb the tree to save the farmer. Following uproar, he later apologised for the remark.

48 hours later, Arvind Kejriwal apologises

Earlier on Friday, Gajendra Singh's family rejected AAP chief and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's apology for the incident, calling it "too little, too late".

"It's a shame a chief minister could not save a dying man. He may not have been able to personally save him, but all he needed to do was to issue orders," Gajendra's father Bane Singh told Headlines Today in Nangal Jhamarwara village in Rajasthan's Dausa district.

"We saw his colleagues on the stage aware of what was happening, but not willing to move to save my son. Is that how Kejriwal would react if his own children were on the three?" he said.

In an apology 48 hours after Gajendra's suicide, Kejriwal apologised for continuing with the rally despite the tragedy. "I made a mistake. I should have called off the rally," he said.