Mandsaur violence: Centre's attitude is to give money for blood, says Congress

Lashing out at the Centre over the death of five farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur District, the Congress party on Wednesday said the Centre has an attitude of exchanging money for blood.

Congress leader K. K. Mishra told ANI that if the government can bring the farmers back to life, then the grand old party is ready to give Rs. five crore to the government.

"This government is adopting an attitude of giving money in return for blood. All this compensation is inappropriate. The Congress is ready to give Rs. five crore to the government for each farmer brought back to life," he said in Bhopal.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said doing politics over farmers' deaths was incorrect.

"I think this issue is very sensitive. I do not feel right that politics in being done on dead farmers. The Congress is stooping down to such levels to make their space in Madhya Pradesh. I totally condemn it," he added.

Meanwhile, the protest in Mandsaur took an ugly turn today as protesting farmers scuffled with the Mandsaur Collector and chased the officer and his staff away.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had blamed the Congress Party for a "conspiracy to fuel violence" in Mandsaur, but the Congress asked his government to honour the 'martyred' farmers.

"The Congress Party expresses its condolence on this incident. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is blaming the Congress party for his own failure. The Congress demands that the honour of being a 'martyr' should be given to the deceased farmers," Congress leader K.K. Mishra told ANI.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has apprised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah of the situation in Mandsaur over phone.

Appealing for peace to the agitating farmers in the state, Chouhan announced a compensation of Rs. one crore to the kin of those killed and Rs. five lakh for those injured in the Mandsaur violence.

Several others were injured in the firing by security forces yesterday, as farmers intensified their agitation demanding fair price and loan waiver.

Internet services in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Ujjain remain suspended following the farmers' protests, and a curfew has also reportedly been imposed.

The farmers in the central state are demanding remunerative prices for their produce and a loan waiver. They are also demanding that they should be given Rs. 50 per litre of milk bought from them as they spend Rs. 37 per litre.

The killing of the farmers came hours after Mandsaur collector Swatantra Kumar Singh claimed all was well in the district and that the situation was under control.