Rahul Gandhi indulging in opportunistic, cynical politics: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 8 June accused Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi of indulging in 'opportunistic and cynical politics', while saying that the former should not do politics on unfortunate tragedy.

"It is the efforts of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party to politicize and criminalize a genuine farmers' agitation. Shivraj ji is known to be a friend of farmers. Madhya Pradesh has excelled in the field of agriculture and has delivered massive 20 percent growth rate every year. The Congress Party cannot accept that they have been repeatedly defeated in Madhya Pradesh elections," 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 the entire Mandsaur incident.

"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 Mandsaur. Rahul Gandhi should not do politics on unfortunate tragedy," he added.

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.

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

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, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has confirmed that police firing was the cause of deaths of the farmers.

Singh told ANI, "Death of the five farmers was due to police firing. It has been established in probe. I have said earlier that the farmers may have died in police firing."

The Madhya Pradesh farmers hit the streets protesting over their demands for remunerative prices for their produce and a farm loan waiver not being met.

This took an ugly turn on 6 June when five farmers were killed and eight others were injured in two separate incidents of firing in Mandsaur.

The protestors alleged that the police fired at them, however, a judicial probe has been ordered in the matter.

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

Apart from the loan waiver, the farmers 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 Chief Minister on 6 June announced a compensation of Rs. one crore each to the victims' families. The injured will get Rs. five lakh in compensation, he added.

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

-ANI