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Farmers clash with police in Madhya Pradesh, throw vegetables and milk on roads
Clashes were reported from several districts of Madhya Pradesh. Farmers threw vegetables and milk on roads as well as in the mandis, which led to shortage of these food items in some areas.
The ongoing agitation by farmers in Madhya Pradesh intensified on Sunday, as violent clashes between police and farmers took place in Sehore district, where a truck loaded with bananas was allegedly looted by the farmers.
At least six policemen were injured in the clashes, and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Clashes were also reported from other districts. Farmers threw vegetables and milk on approach roads towards cities as well as in the mandis, which led to shortage of these food items in some areas.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the farmers not to continue with their agitation as he would try to resolve their issues after discussions with them. He said some people were trying to give the agitation a political colour, which should not be allowed.
In Sehore, farmers and police clashed at Sonda, nearly 20 km from the district headquarters. The farmers gathered at Sonda on the Bhopal–Indore road to stop vehicles carrying vegetables.
As police reached the spot after reports of farmers allegedly looting the truck with bananas, the farmers pelted stones at the police personnel in which at least six policemen were injured.
The farmers also damaged the vehicle of the local tehsildar. Police had to use tear gas and cane charge to disperse the mob.
“We had to use mild force to disperse the agitated farmers,” said Sehore’s additional superintendent of police AP Singh.
The ongoing agitation by farmers will contuinue till June 10. The farmers are demanding a loan waiver and remunerative prices for their produce, and that they be given Rs 50 per litre of milk bought from them.
In Bhopal, farmers gathered at Misrod and threw vegetables on the roads. They blocked the roads for some time, which led to traffic jams.
Some farmer stopped a vehicle of the Sanchi Milk Federation, took out the milk packets and threw them on the roads.
In Ratlam too, farmers threw vegetables on the roadside, following which a clash erupted with the police. In Shajapur, the markets remained shut in the district headquarters.
In Indore, clashes took place between police and farmers on Saturday in which some farmers were reportedly injured. Angry farmers later allegedly ransacked some properties and pelted stones at police, who used tear gas to disperse the farmers.
In Jhabua district’s Petlawad, agitated farmers threw vegetables of small vendors on the roadside. In Khargone district too, farmers did not allow vehicles with milk and vegetables to enter the district headquarters.
In Khandwa, farmers seized milk being brought into Khandwa town and distributed it among patients at a local hospital.
Sunil Gaur, leader of the Rashtriya Kissan Mazdoor Sangh, said, “Farmers across MP are agitating as they are not getting right prices for their produce. We want one-and-half times the amount we spend on production, be it in case of crops, pulses, vegetables or milk. On an average, we spend Rs 37 per litre of milk, so we want Rs 50 per litre,” he said.
Dr Aruna Gupta, managing director of the MP State Cooperative Dairy Federation, told HT that every day the dairy federation receives nearly eight lakh litres of milk and supplies the same through milk tankers and other vehicles.
“As farmers have started attacking our milk vehicles, we have sought police protection for them. We are now supplying milk only with police protectionn,” she said.
(With inputs from Mahendra Thakur in Sehore)
