Mandsaur unrest reaches Bhopal, toll 6

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will begin an indefinite fast from Saturday for peace and possible talks with farmers as a violent agitation, demanding loan waivers and better prices for their produce, raged across the state.

Two debt-ridden men allegedly committed suicide at different places of the state in the past 24 hours, underlining growing woes of farmers in the country’s

heartland where a bumper harvest has sent prices crashing.

Farmers in Maharashtra, another BJP-ruled state, are also agitating over similar demands, mounting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who

has promised to double their income by 2022.

Chouhan’s announcement at a hurriedly-called press conference came three days after five farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district where protesters burnt vehicles and government buildings and pelted stones on police.

One man who was allegedly injured in police caning earlier, died in Indore on Friday, taking the toll to 6 since the agitation began last week.

The agitation has spread to several other areas, including state capital Bhopal, putting the BJP government under pressure.

Chouhan will hold a fast at the Dussehra Ground in Bhopal. “There will hold talks with the farmers,” he said.