MP BJP hits back at Congress's farmer protests, cites 1998 'Multai firing'

Bhopal, Oct 18 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Hemant Khandelwal on Saturday accused the opposition Congress of staging "drama" over farmers' issues, asserting that the party failed to introduce crucial beneficiary schemes during its tenure.

Speaking at a 'Kisan Sammelan' programme held at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence in Bhopal, Khandelwal stated, "When Congress comes to power, they open fire at farmers like in Multai in Betul district. Congress leaders are doing drama to get more attention from the media."

He asserted that both the central and state Congress leadership are attempting to "mislead the people."

Khandelwal said the Congress never thought of introducing beneficiary schemes like Kisan Samman, Bhawantar, and PM Kisan Nidhi when they were in power in Madhya Pradesh.

Addressing a large gathering of farmers associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), the state BJP chief recalled the 1998 Multai firing incident, in which 18 farmers were allegedly killed while protesting for compensation after their crops were destroyed by heavy rain and hailstorms.

Khandelwal’s remarks came three days after state Congress president Jitu Patwari and party workers staged a protest outside the residence of former Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal.

Following the protest, Bhopal police registered a case against several Congress leaders, including Patwari, for demonstrating outside Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence without permission. They were booked under Section 223 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sahita (BNS) at the TT Nagar police station in Bhopal.

Khandelwal further said that the state BJP government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is making every effort to empower farmers through various welfare schemes.

“Our government is working for the farmers, but it is also true that merely increasing production, providing better support prices, and offering compensation for crop losses are not enough. The agricultural sector needs comprehensive reform to ensure economic growth for farmers,” he said.

The state BJP chief also mentioned that the government is working to make the state’s Sanchi Milk brand comparable to major names like Amul.

“Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is consistently focusing on this project. One day, our Sanchi Milk brand will become a national brand,” he added.

--IANS

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