Madhya Pradesh home minister Bhupendra Singh today admitted that farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsour district on Tuesday.

Talking to media in Bhopal, Mr. Singh clarified that his earlier comment was based on the initial report. He said that even officers were not aware of the facts at that time. The Home Minister said that he had changed his statement on Tuesday itself after getting the information in this regard.

Bhupendra Singh had said on Tuesday that the police didn’t open fire. He said that the action will be taken after the inquiry against culprits.

Six people were killed in Mandsour district in firing during farmers agitation on Tuesday. However police sources said that five people were killed in the firing and one person was died due to cardiac arrest.

The state government has transferred collector Swatantra Kumar Singh and SP O P Tripathi of the violence hit district. Collectors of adjoining Neemuch and Ratlam districts have also been changed.

Meanwhile, the situation in Mandsour district is by and large peaceful today. No untoward incident has been reported from any part of the district today so far. Heavy security deployment has been made in entire Mandsaur.

Police have taken over 60 persons in custody in connection with violent incidents.

The situation has also returned to normalcy in other districts including Neemuch where violent protests were reported yesterday.

Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu accused the Congress of instigating and politicising farmers’ stir in Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking to media in New Delhi, Mr Naidu urged congress to stop doing politics and behave as a responsible political party to help restore normalcy. He also dismissed the Congress’ demand that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan step down from his post in view of the deaths of five protesting farmers in police firing.

Mr Naidu described Mr Chouhan as the most farmer-friendly chief minister and listed welfare measures taken by the BJP-led Centre and state government.

He said, from the day one, NDA government is focusing on agriculture and rural development. The Minister said, under the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government in Madhya Pradesh, agriculture growth is 20 per cent.

Mr Naidu said, the problem in the state arose due to the wrong policies of the previous Congress Government. He said, the State government is taking appropriate steps to bring long term solution to the problems faced by the farmers.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi entered in Madhya Pradesh via Udaypur of Rajasthan to meet the families of the farmers killed in police firing.

After being taken in custody, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi can waive loans of the country’s rich but can’t do the same for farmers.

Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP government can only give bullets to the farmers.

The police has taken him into custody in Neemuch district and has not been allowed to go to Mandsour. Senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Kamalnath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Mohan Prakash were accompanying him.