The ruling BJP and opposition Congress today engaged in a war of words over the death of five farmers in alleged police firing in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh during the ongoing agitation.
BJP blamed Congress for inciting the violence, while the opposition party alleged that "someone from the top" was giving orders to the police.
"A video of Sehore district superintendent of police is doing rounds, which shows him asking his subordinates to be strict and rough up the agitators. Such officials must have received directions from the top," senior Congress leader Anil Shastri said in Bhopal.
He termed the killing of farmers as an "encounter" by the police.
BJP vice president Prabhat Jha accused the Congress of playing politics.
"Congress is inciting and misleading farmers and doing politics over dead bodies. We will not allow politics over blood and dead bodies. The farmers' issues should not be seen through the prism of vote politics," Jha said.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was deeply pained by the death of five farmers, the BJP leader said, adding that no state in the country has ever given a compensation of Rs 1 crore upon a farmer's death.
Chouhan, late last night, announced compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of the slain farmers.
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