Five farmers were killed and two others wounded after police opened fire to control a rioting mob demanding fair price and loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district on Tuesday. Meanwhile, curfew has been imposed in the violence-ht area of Mandsaur.
The protests by farmers turned into a violent agitation as they allegedly set ablaze as many as 10 trucks, one Dial 100 vehicle and three motorcycles in Pipliamandi area, forcing CRPF and police to open fire to gain control.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those injured. he has also ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident.
On the other hand, state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has denied that the police resorted to firing. He also denied imposition of any curfew or internet ban in the restive Mandsaur area.
Blaming the Centre for the killing of farmers in Mandsaur, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that the government is at war with the farmers of the country.
Hitting back, CM Chouhan said that while the government stands firms with the farmers, it is the Congress who fuelled the violence through conspiracy.
Earlier today, farmers resorted to violence in other parts of Ratlam and Mandsaur, forcing police to use force to disperse the crowd. In Suwasara area, police lobbed teargas shells as farmers damaged public property and attempted to set afire police vehicles.
The protesting farmers damaged railway tracks and railway crossing gates in Daloda area of Mandsaur. They also reportedly set afire vehicles on Mandsaur-Neemuch road and pelted stones at the police.
On Monday, Chouhan had the farmers that government would buy onion at the MSP of Rs 8 per kg, he said, adding that "we have already started buying onion in Indore, Ujjain and Mandsaur districts". Procurement will continue till June 30, he said.
Similarly, some cereals too will be procured at MSP, he added.
Meanwhile, assistant sub-inspector of police Pawan Yadav, who suffered a severe injury to eye in stone-pelting at Ratlam on Sunday, was sent to Chennai for treatment, to ensure that infection doesn't spread to the other eye, the CM informed.
Farmers are demanding better prices for farm produce, among other things.
Chouhan held talks with protesters' leaders on Sunday, but while two of the farmer outfits called off the agitation, others continued the stir.
The week-long agitation by the farmers has hit supplies of milk and vegetables across the state. Late on Monday night, farmers in Mandsaur district tried break the gates of a railway crossing and disrupt the railway lines as part of their protest.
Following the violence, internet service was suspended in Indore, Dewas, and Ujjain. The farmers have been protesting for the last few days demanding higher prices for their produce and loan waiver.
The prices of vegetables, meanwhile, have almost doubled in the last six days with only exception being that of onion which is selling at Rs 10 per kg in retail.
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