Five persons were killed on Tuesday as farmers’ agitation turned violent in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in the trouble-hit area. Some eyewitnesses alleged that the victims suffered bullet wounds, but Mandsaur district authorities denied that police fired on the protesters, who were on a rampage. The mob torched over 27 vehicles, including trucks carrying automobiles, forcing police to lob teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
Mandsaur collector SK Singh confirmed death of five persons and said a magisterial enquiry has been ordered. As tension prevailed, mobile internet services were suspended in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch districts since morning to check spread of rumours. The Mandsaur collector told PTI that police categorically told him that they did not fire at the protesters. “Police have told me that neither did they fire nor did they have any orders to fire. There is a possibility that someone from the crowd opened fire. That’s why a probe has been ordered,” Singh added.
The deceased were identified as Kanhaiyalal Patidar, Bablu Patidar, Chain Singh Patidar, Abhishek Patidar and Satynarayan. Abhishek and Satynarayan died en route to a hospital in Indore, police said. Curfew has been imposed in Pipalya Mandi police station area of Mandsaur district where the incident took place, while prohibitory orders restricting movement under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed on rest of the district, the collector said.
While the Congress called for State bandh on Wednesday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan blamed the Opposition party for instigating the violence. “Our Government is a Government of farmers and we have taken several big decisions in the interest of farmers continuously for the last 11 years. We have tried to fulfill even those demands that seemed impossible. After discussion with farmers in the last two days, we have fulfilled their demands, including onion purchase. The State Government is standing with farmers with full empathy. But certain political parties conspired to turn the agitation violent. At several places they attempted to spread disharmony so that the matter could be politicised,” said Chouhan.
The administration has always been instructed to hold discussions with farmers and talk to the farmers participating in the agitation with understanding and in good faith, but anti-social elements entered the scene, added the CM.
In-camera autopsy of bodies was going on and the cause of death will be known after it, the collector said. According to eyewitnesses, protesting farmers torched vehicles and indulged in stone pelting in Parshvanath area under Pipaliya Mandi police station limits of the district.
The CM announced a financial help of Rs10 lakh to the kin of the deceased.
“I request the farmers to be patient. Do not fall in the trap of anyone. The Government stands with farmers. We will solve all problems through discussion,” Chouhan tweeted while blaming the Congress for the violence.
Farmers in western Madhya Pradesh are protesting since June 1 demanding higher minimum support prices (MSP) among other demands. In Ratlam, District Collector Ashok Bhargava imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC following the violence in neighbouring Mandsaur district. Ratlam superintendent of police Amit Singh announced a reward of Rs10,000 each for information about absconding farmer leaders DP Dhakad, Rajesh Bharava, Bhagwati Patidar (said to be Congress members) and others who were allegedly involved in violence in the district on Sunday in which two police personnel had been injured.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Congress and the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh have given a call for bandh on Wednesday across the State to protest the farmers’ death in Mandsaur.
“We have called for a massive MP bandh tomorrow,” said State Congress chief Arun Yadav.
The leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Ajay Singh, demanded resignation of Chouhan, saying the incident of firing in Mandsaur is shameful for a Chief Minister who claims to be a farmer’s son. “All the claims of the chief minister have proved false so far. Now the Government is using bullets to suppress farmers’ voice. Chouhan should resign immediately,” the Congress leader said.
The main opposition party also constituted a committee of MlAs “to investigate” the Mandsaur firing incident. Singh and the state Congress chief would visit Mandsaur on Wednesday. Senior Congress leader and MP Jyotiraditya Scindia also condemned the incident. The BJP Government dealt with the agitation through bullets instead of talks, he said.
Trouble was reported from many parts of western Madhya Pradesh as farmers’ stir continued for the sixth day on Wednesday. In Indore, police used lathi charge following stone-pelting during a march by farmers. A police officer said that people taking part in the march started throwing stones at the police near Devi Ahilyabai Fruits and Vegetable Market, which led to lathi-charge.
In Dhar, farmers blocked the Indore-Ahmedabad national highway for about three hours. Farmers also staged protests at Amjhera and Ghoda Chowpati in the city. The shops in the local market remained closed all day in Neemuch city. Meanwhile, Mahendra Patidar, president of MP Patidar Samaj, said they would cremate the bodies of victims who died in Mandsaur district only in the presence of the CM.