Congress Party in Mandsaur to express solidarity with farmers, says Sachin Pilot

After Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was detained on 8 June Neemuch district under Section 151, the party claimed that it was in the state of Madhya Pradesh only to express solidarity with the farmers, but the state police had opted to use brute force against them.

"We are here only to express solidarity with them and appeal for calm and peace, but the police is using brute force," Congress leader Sachin Pilot told ANI.

"The families of victims are hardly one kilometer away from us, because they wanted to meet us but police is stopping them," Pilot said.

This comes after Rahul Gandhi was detained while he was on his way to Mandsaur to meet the families of the deceased farmers.

After being detained, Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi only knows to fire bullets at farmers and not to waive off their loans.

" Prime Minister Narendra Modi neither waives off farmers' loans nor does he provide bonus. He only knows to fire bullets at the innocent farmers," Rahul told the media.

Rahul was detained by the police earlier in the day while he was on his way to Mandsaur district to meet the families of the deceased farmers.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh confirmed Rahul's detention and said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has been detained. What was the emergency to go there now? He only wants to do politics."

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had tweeted, "Raj & MP Govts are doing their best to prevent me from entering MP & meeting the families of the #farmers killed in #Mandsaur."

"What law of the land says that it is illegal to stand in solidarity with farmers who were killed simply for demanding what is their right?," he added.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Rahul of indulging in 'opportunistic and cynical politics' adding the former should not do politics on unfortunate tragedy.

"Rahul is trying to create a scene and indulging in political tourism. He is trying to create a photo-op politics. The enquiry that has been ordered will bring out the real truth of the Congress party and its role in perpetrating violence in Mansaur. Rahul Gandhi should not do politics on unfortunate tragedy," BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao told media.

Accusing the Congress party of firing from the shoulders of the farmers, Rao further said that grand old party is responsible for giving a violent turn to entire Mandsaur incident.

The Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh has been facing a tense situation with farmers protesting over their demands for remunerative prices for their produce and a farm loan waiver not being met.

This unfortunately took an ugly turn on 6 June when five farmers were killed and eight others were injured in police firing

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

Chief Minister Chouhan on 6 June announced a compensation of Rs. one crore each to the victims' families while Rs. five lakh for the injured.

In a video message, Chouhan also promised a government job to each of the victims' kin.

-ANI