Facing criticism after five agitating farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur few days ago, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday declared that he would sit on an indefinite fast from Saturday till peace is restored.
While talking to mediapersons at his residence, Chouhan said, “I have decided to sit on an indefinite fast from Saturday. It will continue till the time peace is restored in MP.”
He said that his fast at Dussehra Maidan in Bhopal will begin from 11 am on Saturday where he would be holding an open 'durbar' for farmers to meet him.
“I request people to come up to me with their problems...We have always been open to discussion. So, I have decided from tomorrow I will be listening to grievances in-person,” the Chief Minister said.
The Government, which had earlier hiked the compensation to Rs 1 crore for the next kin of those killed in police firing, promised to soon come out with new loan waiver scheme.
Meanwhile, video purportedly showing Congress MlA from Shivpuri MlA Shakuntala Khatik inciting the party workers and farmers accompanying her to burn down the nearby police station has surfaced three days after six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur. As Khatik repeatedly instigates the mob, a police official is seen requesting the MlA to calm down.
The farmers in western Madhya Pradesh, particularly Mandsaur and Dewas districts, have been protesting for a week now, demanding debt relief and better crop prices.
The protest, however, has been marred by violence and killings of five peasants in police firing.
The Chief Minister also sought to put the blame of the violence on anti-social elements for provoking people.
“Youngsters were forced into stone-pelting and creation of untoward situation. People behind this will face consequences. People have given the protest of farmers a very bad shape. Such anti-social elements will be dealt stringently,” Chouhan said.
Appealing for peace he said instigators have put stones in the hands of young people.
On demands for increase in prices of farm produce, he said it is because of the state government's policies that production has seen a record jump due to which prices have fallen down. “We will get them the right price,” the Chief Minister said.