From Tuesday, farmers staged a protest in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. These protests intensified and the police opened fire on Wednesday which was initially denied by the officials. However, speaking on Thursday, MP Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said that there were five casualties during farmers’ agitation in Mandsaur.
Singh said, “Five persons were killed in police firing.” This statement holds high significance as it is opposite of what the authorities claimed. Immediately after the demonstration of gunfire, Mandsaur Collector S.K. Singh speaking to a news agency said that the police told him categorically that “neither did they fire nor did they have any orders to fire.”
Congress VP Rahul Gandhi reaches Udaipur Airport, to leave for MP’s #Mandsaur by road to meet kin of those killed during farmers’ agitation pic.twitter.com/7NfocOeb4E
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 8, 2017
The home minister speaking about what triggered the firing said there will be a magisterial inquiry into the incident and that the situation was now under control in the State. Amidst this, Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed in Mandsaur, which has been brimming with violence from two days.
Two contingents of RAF with 100 men each have been strategically placed in Pipliamandi. Another two companies of RAF are also posted in the Garoth area of Mandsaur. Two contingents have been also place on the Mwoh-Neemuch Highway in order to prevent any unwanted incidents. The police said that the situation is tense but under control.
Avinash Sharma, DIG Ratlam Range is camping in Pipliamandi, where farmers have been staging an agitation for the last seven days. They have demanded for a loan waiver and better crop prices, and have defied prohibitory orders on Wednesday. The farmers beat up officials and policemen and took to violence and arson. This resulted in firing, which killed the five farmers.
