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Mandsaur violence: After 6 deaths, CM Chouhan offers dharna as 'solace'; Oppn sharpens attack

MP CM calls for talks * Oppn sharpens attack * Situation remains volatile

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MP CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan (centre) on an indefinite fast in Bhopal on Saturday
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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's indefinite fast undertaken to placate agitating farmers drew a flak from the political parties on Saturday, including National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Shiv Sena.

While Shiv Sena reasoned why Chouhan chose to sit in the state capital Bhopal instead of visiting Mandsaur to comfort the families of the deceased farmers, Congress dubbed the fast as a mere "nautanki" (drama) and even demanded imposition of President's Rule in the crisis-hit state.

As the situation continued to remain volatile in several parts of western MP even on the tenth day of the agitation, Chouhan launched his indefinite fast at the Dussehra Maidan in the heart of Bhopal, requesting the agitating farmers to come for a dialogue and promising profitable prices for their produce.

With the Assembly polls due next year, Chouhan has a difficult task up his sleeve to not to let the issue go out of hand and in turn be grabbed by the Opposition parties, especially Congress.

More than 1,600 farmers killed themselves in MP in 2016, according to official figures. Between 2011 and 2015, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 6,076 farmers had committed suicide in the state.

"Shivraj Singh Chouhan's fast is a drama...it is a sham, he should answer why a case of murder has not been filed in the death of five farmers in Madhya Pradesh," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in New Delhi.

Blaming BJP for making "false promises" of providing better prices to farmers for their produce, Surjewala said it has failed to give MSP to the farmers.

Claiming that Chouhan has abdicated constitutional responsibility to protect people, Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly, Ajay Singh demanded imposition of President's Rule.

"One of the killed farmers was father of a 40-day-old child. Chouhan should have gone to meet his wife and the child and families of other farmers, who were killed. CM has been evading constitutional responsibility. We demand imposition of President's Rule in the state,"he said in Bhopal.

Sena's media in-charge Apoorva Dubey, who met Chouhan at Dusshera Maidan, said, "Instead of sitting here, he should have gone to Mandsaur to comfort and help the farmers.Chouhan should sit indefinitely on the fast till the farmers' woes are mitigated, or we else will launch an indefinite fast in support of the farmers."

"Those farmers who have come to the Dussehra Maiden had been brought by the ruling BJP. Farmers' stir is the result of the failure of Chouhan, the state bureaucracy and the police," he alleged.

Describing MP killings as "unfortunate that cannot be justified", Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who himself is grappling with farm sector woes, tried to lend a helping hand to Chouhan by hailing the steps taken by him to to improve farm production in his state during his over a decade-long rule.

"What happened in Madhya Pradesh is unfortunate (and) no government ever wants to do that. But the situation also was very grave, it could have turned more problematic," said Fadnavis in Kochi where the state unit of the BJP is celebrating Modi government's three years at the Centre.

Admitting that there were issues in the farm sector in Maharashtra, Fadnavis blamed it for the four-year-long drought situation and prices that are no more controlled by government post-globalisation.

Meanwhile, the administration lifted the curfew from Mandsaur, the epicentre of the farmers' agitation in Madhya Pradesh. However, restrictions on assembly would remain in force. The district administration said the Internet services will be restored by Sunday morning.

...& analysis

Seizing it as an opportunity to dislodge the BJP govt in 2018 Assembly elections, the Oppn is adding fuel to fire.
MP protests threatening to spread to other states pose a challenge to the Modi govt putting it under pressure to resolve the crisis.
 

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