RSS-affiliated farmers’ body need to reassess resuming stir in Madhya Pradesh: Secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra

NEW DELHI: RSS-affiliated farmers’ body –– Bhartiya Kisan Sangh –– may have suspended its agitation a few days back in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, but it will reassess its decision if the state government does not act on its demands, its national secretary has said.

Mohini Mohan Mishra, national secretary of BKS, which enjoys considerable ground-level presence among farmers’ groups, said the current unrest in the state was being stoked by “mischievous elements” who wanted to hog political mileage and this must be duly and properly investigated.

He told ETthat the decision on the next course of action in Madhya Pradesh will depend entirely on how the state government acts. BKS has been questioned over its decision to suspend the agitation after meeting Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan on June 4 where the latter is said to have agreed to certain demands made by farmers’ groups. However, even after BKS withdrew from the farmers’ movement, other farmer fronts like Kisan Union refused to do so.

Things took an ugly turn ever since with the torching of public property, police firing that killed five farmers and the District Collector being heckled.

“We have suspended our agitation, not ended it. We have just postponed it for now. The state government has committed to us and agreed with most of our demands. Only two issues on milk supply and loan waiver are to be looked into.

We accordingly decided to give the state government some time to see whether the farmers’ issues are addressed. If not, we will see what we should do next,” Mishra said. He refuted allegations that it was going soft on the BJP government due to its affiliation with the Sangh. He was also critical of the Centre for the poor purchase price offered and import of pulses and agreed there was unrest among farmers on some counts.