During Ratlam campaign, Scindia highlights BJP govt’s ‘betrayal’ of farmers

Congress’ Madhya Pradesh campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday highlighted the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s “betrayal” of farmers at a well-attended meeting in Ratlam, around 300 km from Bhopal.

Scindia has been holding public meetings and road shows in Neemuch, Mandsaur and Ratlam districts since Thursday. The region was the epicentre of the June 2017 farmer agitation for loan waiver and better support prices.

Six farmers were killed during the agitation in Mandsaur in police firing. This had pushed the BJP on the back foot. Scindia said chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government had failed on both development and security fronts.

He said over one crore youth in Madhya Pradesh were unemployed and the only development has been that of BJP workers and ministers.

Scindia said there was no security for women with Madhya Pradesh topping the rape charts in the country. “Now even small girls are not being spared,” he said, referring to the rape of minors in Mandsaur, Gwalior and Satna. Scindia said the farmers were on the top of the Congress agenda.

He also unveiled a bust of Abhishekh Patidar at Pipliyamandi and that of Ghanshyam Dhakad in Barwan on Saturday. Both were killed during the agitation.

First Published: Aug 11, 2018 23:43 IST