The Congress today hit out at the BJP over the probe report on last year's police firing incident in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh as it accused the saffron party of "cheating" farmers and insulting them by dubbing those killed as 'anti-social elements'.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the report of the SK Jain inquiry committee, set up by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government to look into the June 2017 Mandsaur firing incident, has not only cheated the farmers but also humiliated them.
"Farmers of the country have been insulted in the report on Mandsaur agitation and firing in which five farmers were killed by the police. Farmers killed in Mandsaur have been dubbed as anti-social elements and we totally reject this report," he told reporters.
Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said, "Is a farmer an anti-social element and his murder necessary and justified? Shivraj Singh Chouhan government's inquiry report is hiding the sin of Mandsaur shooting."
"We will remove the BJP government in the state, reject the Mandsaur firing report and the guilty will not be allowed to get away scot-free," he said on Twitter.
Tiwari alleged that the report has been made at the behest of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.
"It seems this government is running on hatred and has crossed all limits by terming the farmers killed in the Mandsaur agitation as anti-social elements, which is an unforgivable offence.
"This exposes the prime minister's real face and his anti-farmer mindset. You have not just insulted those five farmers but those of the entire country. This report is the worst action taken at the instance of the BJP government there.If someone has insulted farmers most after independence, it is the BJP government through this report," he claimed.
Tiwari also alleged that the report on Mandsaur seems to have been prepared "in advance", as everybody - the police, the SP, the collector the CRPF, have been termed as innocent.
"Did the bullet enter the body of agitating farmers of its own," he asked mockingly.
The Congress leader also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his claim of doubling farm incomes by 2022.
Tiwari claimed no farm produce is fetching 50 per cent more than cost price as propagated.
"This is cheating and betrayal with the farmers. On the one hand you call them 'annadaata', on the other you deceive them.
"This government is cheating farmers, as the formula for calculating the cost price is not as per norms and it uses reduced input costs. It has also defrauded farmers in the name of farm insurance, as only the companies close to the government are benefitting from it," he alleged.
The Congress leader said even BJP's allies in Bihar are saying so as it has not implemented the farm insurance scheme.
Tiwari also accused the Modi government of harming the country's interests in the name of 'Make in India' as there has been a five-fold increase in imports for defence unlike during the UPA when in 2012-13, Rs 988 crore were spent on to buy essential ammunition for the armed forces to help save foreign currency.
"Looking at the state of economy, the chief economic adviser has decided to quit and leave the 'sinking ship'.
"His going in between his tenure confirms that India's economy is not in good shape and its policies have been framed keeping in view the interests of only a few people and are not pro-poor," he alleged.
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