Rahul Gandhi to hold rally in MP's Mandsaur, meet families of farmers killed in police firing last year

On June 6 last year at least seven farmers were killed in a police firing in MP's Mandsaur, triggering a massive national outcry.

BHOPAL: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will address a rally of farmers in the Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. Importantly, on this day last year, at least seven farmers were killed in a police firing, triggering a massive outcry. He will also meet the families of those farmers who were killed in police firing last year.  

''Every day, about 35 farmers commit suicide in our country. To attract government's attention towards the agrarian crisis, farmers are forced to protest for 10 days. To stand with them in the fight for the rights of our 'Annadata' (food provider), I will address a farmer`s rally in Mandsaur on June 6," Rahul Gandhi had tweeted earlier. 

हमारे देश में हर रोज़ 35 किसान आत्महत्या करते हैं। कृषि क्षेत्र पर छाए संकट की तरफ़ केंद्र सरकार का ध्यान ले जाने के लिए किसान भाई 10 दिनों का आंदोलन करने पर मजबूर हैं। हमारे अन्नदाताओं की हक की लड़ाई में उनके साथ खड़े होने के लिए 6 जून को मंदसौर में किसान रैली को संबोधित करूंगा। pic.twitter.com/Bv4Hv72jE8 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 2, 2018

Ahead of Rahul Gandhi's rally in Mandsaur, Congress had accused Narendra Modi government of being anti-farmer. The party also confirmed that the Congress chief will meet the families of the farmers killed in police firing last year.

The party also hit out at the BJP government for putting national security at stake, saying the soldiers were now being asked to stitch their own uniform.

Attacking the BJP dispensation at the Centre, Congress leader Mohan Prakash said, ''This government is anti-farmer, anti-poor and is also putting the security of the country at risk because of its wrong policies." 

"The farmers of the country are in distress. They are on strike for the past five days. They are disturbed for the past four years because prices of whatever items they need to buy have doubled. And, whatever they produce and sell, their prices have halved. But Modi government didn't get time to address these issues in the past four years," he added.

Criticising PM Modi, Prakash said, ''while farmers were committing suicide, the Prime Minister was busy flying kites in Indonesia in order to facilitate the business interests of Adani Group.''

"On June 6, 2017, seven farmers in Mandsaur (of Madhya Pradesh) were killed in police firing. Tomorrow (Wednesday), all farmers will gather at that place and the Congress president will pay homage to the deceased and meet the families," Prakash said on Tuesday.

He said the true face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments was visible as still there were cases against 7,000 farmers.

The Congress leader said in Maharashtra, 58 farmers died due to pesticides last year and more than 1,000 farmers were admitted in hospitals.

"But even now Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have not been able to say what chemical or pesticide caused the death of farmers,'' he said. 

Prakash further said that 373 jawans had died on the borders while the Prime Minister preferred to visit Pakistan uninvited to have "biryani".

"Now, there are media reports that soldiers are being asked to stitch their own uniforms. The country has gone into the hands of those who are working against its well-being,'' he added.

(With Agency inputs)