Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into reports that protesting farmers were beaten up and forced to strip by the police in Tikamgarh town on Tuesday, ANI reported.
Dozens of farmers had gathered in front of the collectorate on Tuesday with a list of demands, according to the Hindustan Times. Local Congress leaders claimed that the police had used tear gas, water cannons and sticks after the farmers got angry because the collector did not meet them. The police claimed that the crowd had started throwing stones.
Around 25 to 30 farmers were injured, claimed local Congress leader Yadvendra Singh. He said he had later “received information that around 30 to 40 farmers have been detained by the police at the Dehat Police Station”.
“I went there and found that they had been beaten up,” he said. “They were made to sit just in their underwear.”
Local Congress leaders said they will approach the National Human Rights Commission.
Over the past few months, farmers around the country have staged major protests, demanding fair prices for their produce and loan waivers. One agitation in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh took a violent turn on June 6 when five protestors were killed in police firing.
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