The death of Sikh priest Sant Baba Ram Singh near the Singhu border in Delhi has snowballed into a political fistfight with the Congress claiming that the "brutality of the Modi government has crossed all limits". An alleged suicide note claimed he was unable to bear the "pain of farmers". Police said that, as per preliminary reports, the cleric shot himself in his car near the protest site.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Modi government should quit its "stubbornness" and withdraw the laws. "Sant Baba Ram Singh Ji of Karnal committed suicide after seeing the plight of farmers on the Kundli border. My condolences and tribute in this hour of grief. Many farmers have sacrificed their lives. The brutality of the Modi government has crossed all limits. Quit stubbornness and immediately withdraw the anti-agricultural law," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also blamed the government for the incident. "Modi ji, stop playing with sentiments of farmers," Surjewala tweeted. "Why is PM Modi so arrogant? Why is the BJP so obstinate? Why are they treating the farmers in such an insensitive fashion? In the last 20 days, 16 farmers have died. Lakhs of farmers are sitting at Delhi borders. Yet, this government fails to listen to their grievances," he said in another tweet.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal too said he was anguished to hear that the cleric committed suicide. "Sant ji's sacrifice won't be allowed to go in vain. I urge GOI not to let the situation deteriorate any further and repeal the 3 agri laws," he said. SAD spokesperson and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa urged farmers to exercise restraint. "A very sad news has been received that Sant Ram Singh, who dedicated his life to the service of humanity, committed suicide by shooting himself," he said on his Twitter handle.
Anguished to hear that Sant Baba Ram Singh ji Nanaksar Singhra wale shot himself at Singhu border in Kisan Dharna, looking at farmers' suffering. Sant ji's sacrifice won't be allowed to go in vain. I urge GOI not to let situation deteriorate any further & repeal the 3 agri laws. pic.twitter.com/2ct4prkcoJ
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) December 16, 2020
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled the death of the Sikh preacher. "The news of Sant Baba Ram Singh ji suicide is very painful. Sympathies to his family in this hour of grief. Our farmer is just asking for his right, the government should listen to the farmers and withdraw the three black laws," Kejriwal tweeted.
With the government and the leaders of the protesting farmers unable to break the farm laws impasse, a three-judge bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde had mooted a committee to resolve the dispute. "We will form a committee to resolve the dispute. We will have members of the government, members from farmer organisations in it. This may soon become a national issue. We will have members from farmer organisations from rest of India," the court said. The parties involved were also asked to propose a list of names of committee members.
Multiple pleas have been filed in the top court seeking a direction to authorities to immediately remove the protesting farmers, saying commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades and the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
The apex court issued notices to the Centre on the petitions which also sought an amicable solution of the dispute.
