Coming down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for unnecessarily blaming the Congress for blowing the farmers protest in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh out of proportion, the grand old party asserted that they cannot be blamed, when the saffron party was ordering the police to open fire at the farmers.
Speaking to ANI, Congress leader P.L. Punia said, "Why will Congress spoil the situation in Madhya Pradesh when the BJP is ordering the police to open fire at the farmers that is leading to their death and creating coax in the state? This allegation has rightly proved that the Government does not consider the farmers, poor and the Dalits as a priority in the country."
Further lashing out at the Centre, another Congress leader P.C. Chacko stated that till date nothing was done in support of the farmers even after this chaotic situation.
"Whether it is Venkaiah Naidu or the BJP Government, their certificate or opinion is not important for the Congress party. We strongly feel that the farmers are on the war path and they are genuinely raising their voices. Firstly, the BJP should understand that the Congress is not instigating this act of violence, but the farmers have not been getting their price from the Government, which the Centre should look into," Chacko told ANI.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, yesterday, said that the former should stop his 'drama' as he was responsible for the death of the farmers in the state.
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Yadav further said that after this incident, Chouhan does not have any right to hold the position of Chief Minister as he has blood on his hands. Extending Congress's support, Yadav said that the party is not in favour of violence, adding that their party will follow the vision of Mahatma Gandhi.
Chouhan will go on an indefinite fast from Saturday in an attempt to restore peace in the state, that is on the boil after six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur.
The Chief Minister would also be leaving the Vallabh Bhawan (Secretariat) and go to open grounds in order to speak with the agitating farmers.
Maintaining that the Government would be dealing with the miscreants with an iron fist, Chauhan said his fast was an attempt to ensure peace is restored in the state. Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed in Mandsaur, but the unrest has spread into the adjoining district of Neemuch.
The farmers are demanding better prices for their produce and waiver of loans. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government is in a soup after the Mandsaur incident.
Chaos ensued when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi tried to reach Mandsaur on Thursday. He was detained and later released. Meanwhile, a video also surfaced wherein a Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh was caught on camera purportedly inciting party workers and farmers to burn down a police station.
Congress' Shivpuri MLA Shakuntala Khatik was seen in the video repeatedly inciting the party workers and farmers accompanying her to burn down the nearby police station.
As Khatik repeatedly incited the mob, a police official was seen requesting the MLA to calm down.
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