Mandsaur issue: Rahul Gandhi meets kin of farmers who died during protests; BJP terms it as 'photo opportunity yatra'

Terming Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's visit to Mandsaur as a "photo opportunity", the BJP on Thursday accused the Opposition party of "fuelling violence" in the farmers' protests.

Pic courtesy: @INCIndia

Doria: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met farmers and kin of those who died during protests in Mandsaur after being released on bail.

He met them at Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border.

"I condemn this incident. I only wanted to stand with farmers and want to assure them that the Congress party is standing with them. We demanded from the Centre to take strict action against the accused. We will raise this topic in parliament as well," Gandhi told media after meeting with the farmers.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi waived money for the elite but he cannot waive farmer loans," he said.

The Congress VP claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government waived off farmers loans due to his constant demand of the same and added that he will do the same in Madhya Pradesh as well.

He also assured that the Congress party will help the kin in providing the honour of "martyr` to the deceased as demanded by the families.

"Kin of farmers` families are demanding `martyr` honour and the Congress party will support them on this demand," he added, as per ANI.

The Congress VP took a chartered plane from Delhi to Udaipur in Rajasthan and then left for Madhya Pradesh by road "in a four wheeler", said IG Udaipur Anand Srivastava.

"In Nimaheda town of Chittoragarh district, he rode pillion for 5-7 km and reached close to the border. After the bike ride, he walked to cross the border," Srivastava said.

He walked for about 100 metres before entering Madhya Pradesh from Dalia village in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district, police said.

There was high drama as he crossed into Madhya Pradesh on foot. It turned into a rally of sorts with Gandhi leading from the front. When police tried to push him back, he entered a field and was detained from there.

Later, SP (Neemuch) Manoj Kumar Singh said, "Rahul Gandhi, along with around 250 Congress leaders have been released."

He was released after about four hours. 

Along with him were Congress leaders like Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Sachin Pilot.

Surging crowds of Congress supporters had followed him, shouting slogans like "Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan" and "Rahul Gandhi zindabad".

Widespread violence, including several incidents of arson, have been reported from western Madhya Pradesh, especially in Mandsaur and Dewas districts, during the week- long farmers' agitation in the state over loan waiver and better price for their produce.

The state government, in a bid to cool tempers, has already announced certain measures, including a loan settlement scheme for those cultivators who had defaulted on repayment of farm loan.

The scheme will cover around six lakh farmers with accumulated dues of Rs 6,000 crore, according to the government. 

Rahul's Mandsaur visit is 'photo opportunity' yatra, says BJP

Meanwhile, terming Gandhi's visit to Mandsaur as a "photo opportunity", the BJP today accused the Opposition party of "fuelling violence" in the farmers' protests and claimed "guilty" leaders have been identified and will be punished.

"It is unfortunate that the Congress is politicising the issue. It is instigating, fuelling violence. Its vice president now wants to visit the place as part of his photo opportunity yatra which he undertakes on a regular basis," BJP leader and Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister also dismissed the Congress' demand that Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan should step down from his post in view of the deaths of five protesting farmers in police firing.

Recalling that on January 12, 1998, 24 farmers had died in police firing in the state's Betul district when Congress leader Digvijay Singh was the CM, he said, "he never resigned."

Briefing reporters at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao accused state Congress leaders of fanning violence after the government reached an agreement with the protesting farmers, agreeing to their demands.

Out of power in the state for 14 years, the Congress was looking at violence to resurrect its fortunes, he said.

"The Congress' hand is with anarchy and violence. The BJP will expose its evil designs to wreak violence for resurrecting its flagging fortunes. We strongly condemn the Congress for first provoking violence and then to exploit a human tragedy. All Congress leaders responsible for provoking violence have been identified. They are being charged with under various sections of the IPC and will face the wrath of the law for their unlawful actions," Rao said.

What Rahul Gandhi is doing is nothing but political drama, he said, adding that he goes wherever he sees TV cameras.

 (With Agency inputs)