MP: Congress demands justice for farmers killed in 2017 Mandsaur police firing

The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh organised a meeting on the sixth anniversary of 2017 Mandsaur police firing incident and demanded justice for the deceased farmers. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath. (Twitter/Kamal Nath) Five farmers were killed in police firing and another was killed in custody after their protest demanding fair price for produces, including onion, turned violent on June 6, 2017. State Congress president Kamal Nath said that even after six years the family members of the victims are waiting for justice. He said that innocent farmers were killed for demanding fair price of their crops. The party also demanded publication of the report of the Jain Commission that was formed on June 12 to probe the incident. MP Congress general secretary Paras Saklecha said, “Shivraj ji (chief miner Shivraj Singh Chouhan) is saving the officers responsible for Mandsaur firing. That is why the report of the Jain Commission is not being tabled in the MP Legislative Assembly.” “On June 12, 2017, Jain Commission was formed then BJP-led state government to punish the responsible officers for firing. The collector, superintendent of police and additional superintendent of police were suspended on June 8, 2017, and they were reinstated in one year,” he said. Saklecha said that it is clear from the statements of 211 witnesses and 800 documents in the Jain Commission that there are huge contradictions in the statements of the drict collector, superintendent of police (SP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant and police station in-charges and others. “The statement about the crowd gathered at Bahi Parshwanath Chowpatty and Pipliya Mandi police station is shocking. According to the police statement, a mob of over 2,000 to 2,500 persons covering their faces, carrying stones, sticks, torches, swords, pols, petrol bottles and petrol bombs in their hands attacked the police. They threw petrol bombs at the jawans, fired continuously. Police vehicles were set on fire at Pipliya Mandi police station, policemen were dragged and beaten up the mob and 59 policemen were injured in the incident,” Saklecha said. He added that doctors didn’t find serious injuries among the police personnel. “If justice is not done in the report of the Jain Commission, then it will be challenged before the MP high court,” he said. The family members of the farmers also demanded action against the officers responsible for the firing incident. Rekha Dhakad, wife of deceased Ghanshyam Dhakad, said, “The state government fulfilled the promise of providing ₹1 crore and government job, but we are still waiting for justice. How and why it happened and who is responsible for the shotting?” she said. Anita Patidar, mother of odeceased Abhishek Patidar, said, “I want justice for my son. There are many questions in my mind who gave order to police to fire on innocent farmers and why did they shoot on the chest not in the legs.” Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) state president, Anil Yadav, said, “Six farmers died while demanding fair price for their production. Onion and garlic farmers are still facing trouble and they are still unable to incur production cost. The state government neither punished the officers responsible for firing nor did they provide minimum support price on horticulture production.” Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, “In the legislative assembly in 2019, then home miner and congress MLA Bala Bachchan had said that firing incident was happened to maintain law and order and there was no fault of anyone. This reply was given in written. They had 15 months after forming government in 2018 to act but they didn’t do anything because they knew the reality. Now, they are again making it an issue before election, but farmers are intelligent enough that’s why they voted Congress leaders out in Mandsaur in both 2018 assembly election and 2019 Lok Sabha election.” Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held later this year. ABOUT THE AUTHOR She is a senior reporter based at Bhopal. She covers higher education, social issues, youth affairs, woman and child development related issues, sports and business & industries. …view detail