Neemuch: Congressional Vice President Rahul Gandhi was arrested by police Thursday under Section 151 as he headed to the Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh to meet with the families of the dead farmers.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not give up farmers’ loans, nor does he offer bonds, but he gives them bullets,” Gandhi told the media.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi had tweeted, “Raj & MP Govts are doing everything they can to prevent me from taking MP and meeting the families of the
“What law of the land says that it is illegal to be in solidarity with the farmers who were killed simply by demanding what is their right?” He added.
Gandhi was seen making his way to the Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh on a motorcycle as tensions continued to escalate in the region over the death of farmers.
Another party leader Sachin Pilot was also seen behind him.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Interior Minister Bhupendra Singh has admitted that police shooting was the cause of farmers’ deaths.
Singh told ANI: “The death of the five peasants was due to the shots of the police, it has been established in the probe. I said earlier that farmers may have died in the shots of the police. I have admitted this before, . ”
Meanwhile, a new round of violence erupted in the Mandsaur district after a toll plaza was vandalized. According to reports, demonstrators plundered the toll plaza of Rs. Eight to ten lakh.
In another development, the Government of Madhya Pradesh has withdrawn and transferred Mandsaur Collector Swatantra Kumar Singh and District Police Superintendent Omprakash Tripathi for their alleged inability to contain and control the farmers’ protest that resulted in the death of Five farmers before the week.
The state government has named Om Prakash Srivastava as the new Mandsaur Collector.
Calling for the presence of Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, protesting farmers Wednesday, entered a quarrel with Singh and Tripathi for the delay in arriving in the area to hear their grievances and restore normalcy.
Singh had told ANI that there was no order to open fire to the farmers.
“There was no order to open fire, I have assured them (farmers) of strict action in the matter,” Singh added.
Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have taken to the streets protesting their demands for remunerative prices for their products and for an exemption from non-compliant agricultural loans.
A police station in Neemuch on Wednesday had been vandalized, while protesters also attacked a private bank trying to burn an ATM at Kayampur in Mandsaur.
Famers and police clashed in Haatpiplya, Dewas as protesters threw stones and burned vehicles.
This unfortunately took an ugly return on Tuesday when five farmers were killed and eight others were injured in two separate shooting incidents in Mandsaur.
Demonstrators alleged that the police shot at them. A judicial investigation has been ordered in the matter.
Internet services in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Ujjain were also suspended following farmers’ protests, and a curfew was imposed.
Apart from the loan exemption, farmers are also demanding that they should be given Rs. 50 per liter of milk purchased from them as they spend Rs. 37 per liter.
Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Chouhan earlier in the day informed President Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah of the situation in Mandsaur by telephone.
Prime Minister Chouhan announced Tuesday a compensation of Rs. One crore each to the families of the victims. The wounded will receive Rs. Five lakh in compensation, he added.
In a video message, Chouhan also promised a government job to each of the victims’ next of kin.
