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Neemuch: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in an argument with a policeman on his way to Mandsaur from Neemuch to meet the family members of the farmers killed in the recent police firing, on Thursday. PTI Photo / Twitter(PTI6_8_2017_000182B)[/caption]
After being prevented from entering violence-hit Mandsaur, Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi government of favouring the rich and giving farmers “only bullets”. After Gandhi got bail, the curfew imposed on Tuesday evening was released in the area for two hours from 4 p.m.
“Modi waived off loans worth Rs 150,000 crore for the richest people in India,” Gandhi said, “But they can’t pay the right price to farmers for their produce, they can’t give compensation either. They can give only bullets.”
Asked who was responsible for the killing of the five farmers on Tuesday, Gandhi said: “(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Madhya Pradesh) Chief Minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan)”.
Gandhi entered Madhya Pradesh by car from Rajasthan and switched over to a bike in a bid to reach Mandsaur after seeing police deployment. But he could not go too far.
Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh as well as Sharad Yadav were also stopped from meeting the families of the dead farmers.
When they reached Neemuch near Mandsaur, Kamal Nath demanded to know why they were being stopped as they were only three in number and so not violating the prohibitory orders.
A former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh said: “This government is acting foolishly. Shivraj Singh Chouhan must resign.”
He said the Congress and JD-U leaders didn’t go to Mandsaur to ignite passions. “We have come here to ease the tension. We have come to talk to the farmers.”
He said the Chief Minister had promised farmers 1.5 times return on the yield of crops. “Why hasn’t he implemented his own promise?”
Amid the simmering tension, the Madhya Pradesh government transferred the District Magistrates of Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch districts. The Mandsaur Police Superintendent was also shunted out. All three places witnessed violence by farmers.
The BJP accused the Congress of instigating the violence and said Gandhi’s conduct was irresponsible.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Modi government would not do anything that breaks the faith of farmers and the common man.
Chief Minister Chouhan urged the farmers to maintain peace and vowed to resolve the crisis through talks.
He said anti-social elements trying to inject instability would be dealt with strictly.
Meanwhile, Youth Congress workers organised a Rail Roko protest at Mumbai’s Ghatkopar railway station over the farmers’ protest.
Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu described Gandhi’s visit as “another photo opportunity”.
Another Union Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, dubbed Gandhi’s decision to visit Mandsaur as “irresponsible”.
The farmers agitation in Madhya Pradesh entered the eighth day on Thursday.
On Tuesday, police fired at farmers after they reportedly resorted to violence in Mandsaur district. The Madhya Pradesh government says five farmers were killed in police firing but the leaders of farmer groups claim eight died.
According to PTI, Seven cases were today lodged and 62 persons detained in connection with the farmers’ agitation in the violence-hit district, police said.
Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Tripathi, who has been transferred in the wake of the firing in the district that left five farmers dead, said the cases have been filed in connection with various incidents of violence.
Amid the ongoing agitation by farmers in Maharashtra, a cultivator allegedly committed suicide at a village in Solapur district, leaving behind a note purportedly stating that he should not be cremated till the chief minister visits his place and meets their demands.
He had a debt of around Rs 60,000 and had also taken loans from some private lenders, police said.
After the incident, the farmers’ organisations resorted to a ‘rasta-roko’ (road blockade) and called for a bandh in Karmala tehsil.
The farmers want their loans to be written off and their produce to be bought at a fair price by the government.