With no fresh incident of violence, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday called off his fast, declaring that peace has returned to the State.
Chouhan, who faced criticism over the farmer unrest in MP, broke his fast with a glass of coconut water offered by former Chief Minister Kailash Joshi.
Before breaking his fast, the Chief Minister said, “Peace has been restored in MP and no case of violence has been reported on Saturday and Sunday.”
He said that those involved in the death of six farmers in Mandsaur will be punished severely. The toll rose to six after an injured farmer died on Friday.
The second day of the indefinite fast began with Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan “Vaishnav Jan” at 11 am. large number of farmers from various districts of the State took part in the fast, along with the Chief Minister. Union leaders, members of the State Cabinet, MlAs, office-bearers of various kisan sangathans also sat on fast in support of the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that those who have destroyed peace in the name of farmers have tried to malign the State’s reputation. He said that no case will be registered against farmers but such people will not be spared. He said that he will keep serving the people of the State till his last breath.
“A handful of people are trying to set the State afire” said Chouhan, urging the farmers to recognise such elements and be alert in future. “Do not let anti-social elements destroy peace,” he said and added that people, whose private properties have been destroyed, will also be provided relief.
On Saturday evening after the protest by farmers was marred by violence in the State, Chouhan had said that he would not end his fast till peace is restored in the State.
The CM, reaching out to cultivators, also met 15 delegations of small farmers and 236 panels of big farmers on Saturday. The delegations pressed for loan waiver and “satisfactory” prices for their produce.
BJP state president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan had claimed that the family members of those killed in police firing at Mandsaur on Tuesday have requested the CM to call off his fast.
Kin of four out of the five people killed in police firing on Tuesday at Mandsaur -- the epicentre of the farmers’ stir--had met Chouhan in Bhopal on Saturday.
They had come down from Mandsaur seeking justice for the deceased.
Chouhan had launched his indefinite fast for “peace restoration” on Saturday at the BHEl Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal amid violent farmer protests in western MP, especially in Dewas and Mandsaur districts over the last ten days.