The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday demanded the arrest of police officers involved in the death of five people in the farmers’ agitation in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh.
A five-member AAP delegation will go to Mandsaur and interact with farmers to address their grievances on June 9, said Gopal Rai who is also the AAP Madhya Pradesh in-charge.
Rai said instead of “shielding” people who are behind the killing of six farmers, the Madhya Pradesh Government should file a criminal case and arrest the culprits.
“We (AAP) are against any kind of violence, but as of now the Government is only taking one-sided action. The administration should immediately arrest the officers who are involved in shooting six farmers,” he said.
On Tuesday, six farmers were killed when police opened fire on them when they were agitating for loan waiver and higher prices for their procedure.
Blaming the Madhya Pradesh Government for the killings, Rai said it was only the carelessness of the State that led to the deaths of farmers.
“The farmers in the State have been agitating for the last few days but the Government did not pay any heed to their demands. The timely intervention could have avoided the situation,” Rai said.
Rai accused the BJP of not fulfilling the promises, made to the farmers before the last general elections in the country.
“Even Modiji had promised to fulfil the demands of the farmers, but the BJP has betrayed the farmers and after the elections,” he alleged.
Rai said farmers’ debts should be forgiven with immediate effect, “so that farmers are not forced to commit suicide”.
“We also demanded that prices of farmers should be increased by one-and-a-half times as per the Swaminathan Commission report. Electricity should be provided 24 hours for irrigation farmers,” he said.