MP CM's meeting Mandsaur farmers is only PR exercise: CPI (M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) on Wednesday demanded that both the state government and the central government should fulfill the promises made to the farmers three years ago, adding that the meeting of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with that of Mandsaur farmers is only a Public Relation (PR) exercise.

Speaking to ANI, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "Shivraj Singh Chouhan's visit, after all that has been done by the state government of the unnecessary firing in which six of the farmers have died and the continued distress suicide that are happening where three of them are of the Chief Minister's own constituency, is only a public relation exercise. He is meeting the villagers who have already been visited by the kisaan sabha committee".

"Question here is what is he offering to the kisaan? The question on loan waiver was an issue promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both by the Centre and in the states. Three years have passed and they have not done anything yet. If Shivraj is going to meet the villages then is he going to implement the promises made by BJP itself?" asked Yechury.

Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Party leader Pramod Tiwari, who is due to visit America later in the month, should first visit the farmers in Mandsaur.

"Rahul Gandhi is one of the first leaders to visit Mandsaur in order to express solidarity to the farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting America for some work while he had no time to visit farmers at Mandsaur. BJP must apologise to the citizens for the plight of framers. The saffron party had promised farmers a certain Minimum Support Price (MSP) at their manifesto prior to elections but nothing has been seen till now," Tiwari told ANI.

Another Congress leader Pankaj Chaturvedi compared Chouhan with General Dyer and demanded that the case of murder should be registered against all the accused.

Chouhan earlier in the day blamed the Congress Party for a "conspiracy to fuel violence" in recent Mandsaur farmers' killing. He has ordered a judicial enquiry into the matter.

Appealing for peace to the agitating farmers in the state, Chief Minister Chouhan has 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 was 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.