Madhya Pradesh farmers' stir: Rahul Gandhi arrested en route Mandsaur, says Shivraj govt giving bullets instead of loan waivers

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday detained and then arrested by police when he tried to force his way into Madhya Pradesh with surging crowds of Congress supporters shouting slogans in praise of the farmer.

Hundreds of Congress workers as well as senior leaders like Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot and Madhya Pradesh legislator Jaiwardhan Singh also courted arrest. They were being taken to a guesthouse of a cement company, a police official said.

As Mandsaur district remained tense , contingents of Rapid Action Force were deployed.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said that the death of five farmers was due to Police firing. "It has been established in probe," he said.

The Centre has hit back at Gandhi for publicizing the entire matter through his visit, and branded it as a publicity stunt.

"Rahul Gandhi is going to that area where situation is very much tense. He should understand his responsibility. He should have talked about this first, but he is so fond of his publicity. That's why he is going there." Union Minister of Steel, Mines and Employment Narendra Singh Tomar said.

Appealing for peace to the agitating farmers in the state, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a compensation of Rs. 1 crore to the kin of those killed in the violence.

The farmers' agitation in Mandsaur district further intensified with protestors setting at least eight to ten vehicles on fire on Wednesday.

The Centre has rushed 1,100 anti- riots police personnel to Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur to help restore peace in the district where five persons were killed in violence during a protest by farmers demanding debt relief and better crop prices.

It has also sought a detailed report over violence and steps taken by the state government to bring back normalcy in the violence-hit area.

Around 600 personnel of the Rapid Action Force, a specialised anti-riots force, have already reached Mandsaur to assist the local administration, a Home Ministry official said.

Farmers in western Madhya Pradesh are protesting since June 1 demanding higher minimum support prices (MSP) for their produce, among others.