MP Farmer Protest Spreads to Six Districts; Unions Say Death Toll Fudged

Mandsaur: Violent protests by farmers spread to at least six districts across Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, a day after six of them who were demonstrating for a loan waiver died in a police firing in Mandsaur.

At the epicenter, 3 shops, a house and a factory were burnt down by protesters in Mansa Road and Podwal Dharmashala area. The protesters even threatened locals against dousing the fire. Police and fire tenders were unavailable. Rail tracks were uprooted in Barkhera area.

Angry protests were also reported from Dhar, Harda and Sehore, while a police station in Neemuch was vandalized. Protesters attacked a private bank and tried to burn down an ATM in Mandsaur’s Kayampur. Farmers clashed with police in Haatpiplya and Dewas after they pelted stones, torched vehicles (including a fire tender) and tried to stop a train, damaging the engine.

Accompanied by Congress workers, farmers protesting against the SDM and Tehsildar vandalised petrol pumps and a dozen other spots in Khargone. At Ujjain’s Tajpur, farmers and the police clashed with stone-pelting injuring three policemen. The protestors also forcefully closed shops in Ujjain.

The Indore-Bhopal highway was blocked as angry farmers gathered there and pelted stones. In Bhopal's Misod area, protestors torched CM Shivraj’s effigy and vandalised vehicles.

Earlier in the day, farmers gathered in Takravad town in Mandsaur and pelted stones on police in protest of local farmer Babloo Patidar’s death who had died in Mandsaur on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, National president of Rashtriya Mazdoor Kisan Sangh (RMKS) Shiv Kumar Sharma on Wednesday claimed that the Mandsaur violence has taken the lives of eight people, including six from the Patidar community. The leader went on to allege that the government was withholding information on the number of those killed in firing.

Four farmers and a student had been reportedly killed in Mandsaur on Tuesday.

“Eight people, including six of the Patidar community have been killed in the Mandsaur violence,” said Sharma.

The RKMS, with the Bharatiya Kisan Union and Aam Kisan Union held a joint press conference in Mandsaur, wherein the union alleged that farmers were shot in the neck and head which is a violation of Supreme Court guidelines. They stated that state government is forging casualty figures and demanded for President’s rule in the state.

The unions called for a state-wide court arrest agitation to be launched after June 10, while accusing the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government of gross corruption.

The unions had earlier called for statewide farmers’ agitation from June 1 to 10 for better prices, farm package and loan waiver.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sivraj Sinch Chouhan tweeted, appealing for calm:

Meanwhile, BJP national vice-president Prabhat Jha accused the Congress party for playing dirty politics.

“Shivraj government is committed to farmers’ welfare, no government has ever sanctioned Rs one crore compensation for the death of farmers’,” he said.

"Is it low politics that Rahul Gandhi wants to indulge in,” he added, while questioning the Congress leaders timing of visit.

The four farmers and one student who died on Tuesday were cremated in Piplaya as hundreds of farmers started charging at the police, RAF personnel forcing them to backtrack. Stones were pelted at Sitamau police station prompting security personnel to use tear gas shells. A factory and warehouse was also torched, said reports.

The agitating farmers and police were also involved in stone pelting in Ujjain’s Badnagar.

Curfew remains enforced at Mandsaur town and Piplaya Mandi, while internet services were curtailed in Mandsaur and nearby areas.

BJP and Congress workers also came face-to-face at Gwalior and Indore over bandh calls from Congress and farmers’ unions.