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Mandsaur (MP), Anti-riot police personnel today moved into violence-hit areas of Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district, two days after the police shot dead five protesting farmers, even as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to meet the families of the deceased raised political temperature in the state.
The government, struggling to restore peace in the trouble-hit areas, shunted out Mandsaur Collector Swatantra Singh and Superintendent of Police OP Tripathi. Shifting stand, state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh today admitted that five farmers had died in police firing.
Outgoing SP Tripathi said Piplya Mandi Inspector Anil Singh Thakur, who had allegedly fired at the farmers, had been removed from field duty.
Rahul travelled by air, car, motorcyle and by foot from Delhi to Neemuch district via Rajasthan before he was stopped at Naya Gaon, 70 km from Mandsaur. He was arrested along with 29 other leaders, including Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United). They were released four hours later, each on a personal bond. Subsequently, curfew in Mandsaur district was relaxed for two hours. Rahul then met farmers. He accused the Modi government of favouring the rich.
“Modi waived loans worth Rs 1,50,000 crore of India’s richest people. But they can’t pay the right price to farmers for their produce, they can’t give compensation either. They can give only bullets,” he said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, blamed “certain forces” for instigating the stir.
