In the wake of the farmer's protest in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress on Friday lashed out at the Centre, stating that they would stand with the farmers and if that is politics, then they are playing it.
Speaking to ANI, P.C. Chacko said, "As long as the farmers are in distress or in any kind of trouble we will stand with the farmers- If that is politics then we are playing it. Unfortunately, from the past three years, the most neglected lot of the country is the farmers; they never get their price for their due nor revision of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) or loan waiver".
Further supporting Rahul Gandhi who met with the kin of farmers in Mandsaur, Chacko asserted that when farmers are in trouble, it is his responsibility too to be there and that's what he did.
"Rahul Gandhi has said that big business houses are given lakh and crore from the bank to start business so why is this government not giving the loan waiver to its farmers who totally deserve it?
"Rahul ji's visit to Mandsaur means, when farmers are in trouble, is his responsibility to be there and if BJP says that Congress is playing politics then they don't understand the agony for the farmers," said Chacko.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, another Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said Modi ji has no time not one tweet from his side regretting on the death of farmers.
"It is an established fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well familiar with the rich and famous, and that he he has no time for the farmers not one tweet from his side regretting on the death of farmers has come... At this time, when farmers need compensation- bullets are being fired. Instead of helping the farmers at the needed hour- bullets are fired and blood is floored. There must be a course correction for this government as the situation is completing reeling out of control," Vadakkan told ANI.
Mandsaur District Collector Om Prakash Srivastava yesterday assured that the curfew would be relaxed for longer hours tomorrow in the violence-hit district.
"Curfew would be relaxed for longer hours tomorrow. ATMs will be opened, milk, petrol and diesel availability will also be ensured," Srivastava told ANI.
Collector said that the police are registering an FIR's against the accused who vandalised the public property and created ruckus.
"We are registering the FIR on those who vandalised the public property in this incident and created ruckus," he said.
Curfew was relaxed for a few hours on Thursday evening.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial enquiry into the deaths of five farmers during the recent agitation.
He said he has announced a compensation of Rs. 1 crore to the kin of those killed and Rs. 5 lakh for those injured in the violence.
Internet services in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Ujjain remain suspended following the farmers' protests, and a curfew has also been imposed.
The Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh has been facing a tense situation with farmers protesting over their demands for remunerative prices for their produce and a farm loan waiver not being met.
This unfortunately took an ugly turn on Tuesday when five farmers were killed and eight others were injured in police firing.
Internet services in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Ujjain were also suspended following the farmers' protests and a curfew was reportedly imposed.
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