Shivraj Singh Chouhan gets agriculture portfolio: SKM protests as farmers were killed

New Delhi/ Shambhu: Congress on Thursday lauded the Samyukta Kisan Morcha for protesting the NDA government's decision to allocate the Agriculture Ministry to Shivraj Singh Chouhan and for reminding people that six farmers were killed in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur in 2017 when he was the chief minister.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the SKM said the farmers were "murdered" while participating in the massive struggle for MSP at the C2 plus 50 per cent formula given by the Swaminathan Commission, comprehensive loan waiver and against the growing trend of farmers’ suicide.

"The decision (allocating the agriculture portfolio to Chouhan) symbolises arrogance and insensitivity exhibited by the former regimes of 2014 and 2019 with an absolute majority to the BJP. It has aroused wrath among the farmers and the rural people across the country," the SKM said.

SKM has released a list of 23 farmers who died in the farmers agitation:

List of martyred farmers who lost their lives in Kisan Andolan 2:

1. 16/2/24 Gian Singh S/o Gujjar Singh Village Chachoki District Gurdaspur Age 63 Years

2. 18/2/24 Manjit Singh Village Kangthala District Patiala Age: 70

3. 18/2/24 Narendrapal Singh Village Pathohi District Patiala

4. 21/2/24 Shubhkaran Singh S /0 Charanjit Singh Village Ballo District Bathinda Age 21 years

5. 22/2/24 Darshan Singh Brar village Amargarh district Bathinda age 60 years

6. 24/2/24 Gurjant Singh S / o Nachhatar Singh Village Mansoor Dewa District Ferozepur Age 33 Years

7. 27/2/24 Karnail Singh village Arno district Patiala aged 63 years

8. 11/3/24 Baldev Singh Village Kangthala District Patiala Age 60 Years

9. 13/3/24 Zira Singh Village Asif Wala (Labor) District Ferozepur

10. 18/3/24 Balkar Singh Son of Kunnan Singh Village Tera Khurd District Amritsar Age 75 Years

11. Tehil Singh S/o Jagroop Singh, Village Ramnagar Bhattal, District Mansa

12. 18/3/24 Bishan Singh S/O Puran Singh, Village Khadur, District Ludhiana Age 73 years

13. 26/3/24 Sher Singh S/o Rulda Singh, Village Sidhuwal, District Patiala

14. 29/3/24 Mithu Singh, Village Burj Mansahia Age 68 Years

15. 31/3/24 Daya Singh S/o Shingara Singh, Village Tarsikka, District Amritsar, Age 70 years

16. 10/4/24 Major Singh S/o Jora Singh, Village Jandanwala, District Bathinda, Aged 51 years

17. 24/4/24 Ram Murthy S/o Najar Ram, Village Bakkapur, District Jalandhar

18. 4/5/24 Surinderpal Singh, Village Akari District Patiala Age 60 years

19. 5/5/24 Bibi Balwinder Kaur W/o Rachpal Singh, Village Walipur, District Tarn Taran age 55 years

20. 7/5/24 Jaswant Singh S/o Gurdit Singh, Village Shahbaj Pur, District Tarn Taran. Aged 70 years

21. 8/5/24 Mata Sukhmander Kaur W/o Jaspal Singh, Village Kaler, Morranwali, Faridkot

22. 15/5/24 Jagtar Singh Urf Mittu S/o Gurdev Singh Aged 62, R/o Vill Sahejda, Mehal Kalan

23. 12/06/24 Harjinder Singh (Pehalwan) S/o. Jaswant Singh, Vill. Varmolla, P.O Chodh Sidhwan, Tehsil & Distt. Gurdaspur. Thana: Sadar Gurdaspur. Aged: 46 years, Union: Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee. Land: 3 acres. Survived by 2 Sons, wife Jasvir Kaur, Mother Harbanth Kaur.

Done well to remind people, says Congress

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has done well to remind the people of the country of what had happened in Mandsaur in June 2017.

"The present Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan was chief minister then. Six farmers had been shot dead by the police in cold blood. They were protesting lack of adequate MSP for their crops and demanding a loan waiver given their acute financial distress," he said.

"Incidentally, the Congress delegation to Mandsaur then comprised of a turncoat - who in March 2020 destabilized the democratically elected Congress Government in Madhya Pradesh which had begun loan waivers - and who is now Minister for Telecom and NE Region," he said in an apparent reference to Jyotiraditya Scindia.

SKM protests

The SKM protested against the NDA government's decision to allocate the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to Chouhan and held him responsible for the killing of six farmers in Mandsaur.

The six farmers were killed in June 2017 in Mandsaur after a group of farmers was fired at by the policemen and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans.

(with inputs from PTI)