MP agrarian unrest: Chouhan's continues fast for 2nd day

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today, who is on a fast for the second day today, is likely to meet farmers of the state witnessing agrarian unrest.

Chouhan, with wife Sadhana on his side and a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi behind him, sat on fast at a pandal in BHEL’s Dusshera ground, with an appeal for peace.

He is expected to meet farmers today and also chair a meeting of government officials at the makeshift room in the pandal where he is sitting on fast.

In the last 10 days, farmers resorted to violence during their stir for various demands, including a complete loan waiver.

The chief minister yesterday began his indefinite fast and met a large number of farmers along with the kin of four of the five farmers killed in police firing on Tuesday in Mandsaur. They had come from Mandsaur to meet him and seek justice.

Chouhan yesterday met some farmer leaders, but failed to reach a compromise.

The opposition Congress has, however, dubbed Chouhan’s fast as “drama”.

An organisation of farmers yesterday said they will continue the agitation till their demands, including loan waiver and better price of their produce, are met.

Earlier, the farmers had said that the stir, which started on June 1 and saw the death of five persons in police firing, will last till June 10.

Chouhan, under attack over the agitation during which five farmers were killed in a police firing, earlier said the government stood firm with the farmers.

“I will not end my fast till peace is restored in the state,” Chouhan said last evening.

The chief minister also that he met 15 delegations of small farmers and 236 panels of big farmers yesterday. The delegations pressed for loan waiver and “satisfactory” prices for their produce.