Shivraj Chouhan has farmers' blood on his hands: Congress

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 9 (ANI): Taking a dig at the indefinite strike by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, amid the ongoing farmers strike in Mandsaur, the Congress Party on Friday said that the former should stop his 'drama' as he is responsible for the death of the farmers in the state. "He is a dramatic Chief Minister and from the past 12 years he has been fooling the people of Madhya Pradesh. He is the one responsible for the death of six farmers in the state," said Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Arun Yadav. Yadav further said that after this incident, Chouhan does not have any right to hold the position of Chief Minister as he has blood on his hands. "What has he done in past 12 years for the farmers? He didn't have any time to meet the farmers and now he is observing indefinite fast, for what?," he asked. Extending Congress's support, Yadav said that the party is not in favour of violence, adding that their party will follow the vision of Mahatma Gandhi. "The farmers are protesting in a non-violent way and we are supporting them," he said. Chouhan will go on an indefinite fast from Saturday in an attempt to restore peace in the state, that is on the boil after six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur. The Chief Minister would also be leaving the Vallabh Bhawan (Secretariat) and go to open grounds in order to speak with the agitating farmers. Addressing a press conference here today, the Chief Minister said, "I am not emotionless and therefore, I will sit at BHEL's Dussehra ground tomorrow at 11 a.m. I appeal to the farmers to come forward and discuss all the issues." Maintaining that the government would be dealing with the miscreants with an iron fist, Chauhan said his fast is an attempt to ensure peace is restored in the state. Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed in Mandsaur but the unrest has spread into adjoining district of Neemuch. The farmers are demanding better prices for their produce and waiver of loans. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led state government is in a soup after the Mandsaur incident. Chaos ensued when Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi tried to reach Mandsaur on Thursday. He was detained and later released. Meanwhile, a video has also surfaced wherein a Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh has caught on camera purportedly inciting party workers and farmers to burn down a police station. Congress' Shivpuri MLA Shakuntala Khatik is seen in the video repeatedly inciting the party workers and farmers accompanying her to burn down the nearby police station. As Khatik repeatedly incites the mob, a police official is seen requesting the MLA to calm down. The video is going to further cement the Bharatiya Janata Party's ( BJP) allegation that the " Congress is instigating the farmers for political gains". (ANI)