Bloodied fields: 5 die in MP firing
Police allegedly fired upon cultivators during a protest to demand better prices in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur
The unrest in the fields of Maharashtra has spilled over into Madhya Pradesh and got bloody with five people falling to security forces’ bullets in the state’s Mandsaur district on Tuesday. Many more have been injured in the police action. Just as in Maharashtra, the farmers in MP are on a warpath with the government, demanding fair price of their produce and loan waiver.
Incidentally, both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are ruled by the BJP. Another BJP-ruled state, Uttar Pradesh, has already announced a loan waiver scheme for distressed farmers of the state.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has ordered a judicial probe into the firing and the state government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the dead farmers.
State home minister Bhupendra Singh, however, denied that the police had resorted to firing. Police sources also said it was a CRPF team called to assist them that fired shots at the agitating farmers, who set five buses on fire.
But Ujjain divisional commissioner M.B. Ojha said that five people were killed when the police opened fire on a violent crowd. “I am personally inquiring under what circumstances police had to open fire,” he said, adding that a curfew has been clamped in the area and internet services have been blocked to prevent rumour-mongering.
But Home Minister Bhupendra Singh denied that the police fired at the crowd of agitating farmers. He said that this was the work of anti-social elements who had mingled with the agitators.
Eyewitnesses said the situation at Bahi Chopati, about 8 km from Mandsaur on the Neemuch highway turned violent after a group of farmers hurled stones at the police and the CRPF patrol party. The agitators also set fire to at least 25 trucks plying on the highway.
There was trouble at Indore, too. The police lathicharged a group of farmers who had assembled in the city and were damaging public property.
Farmers in the state have been agitating since June 1 demanding loan waiver and remunerative prices for their produce. On Monday, Chief Minister Chouhan had assured the farmers that his government would purchase onions and moong dal at prices agreed to with a delegation of farmers. He had also announced a Rs 1,000 crore “stabilisation fund” to get farmers out of the crisis.
Though the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, a RSS affiliated organisation, had called off the strike other farmer outfits did not do so and were continuing with the stir.
As in Maharashtra, the ruling BJP has accused the Opposition parties, of fanning the fire. The chief minister said it was the Congress that has resorted to violent ways to protest.