MP farmers' strike: Political drama unfolds near Neemuch border as Rahul Gandhi leaves for Mandsaur on bike

Udaipur/Mandsaur (MP): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday rode pillion on a motorcycle and walked some distance to reach Mandsaur from Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district. As he made his way to the epicentre of the farmers’ protest, the local police in Madhya Pradesh made it clear that he will not be allowed to enter the district. “Gandhi reached Udaipur from Delhi in a chartered plane and left for Madhya Pradesh by road.In Nimaheda town of Chittorgarh district, he rode pillion for 5-7 km and reached close to the border. After the bike ride, he walked toward the border,” IG Udaipur Anand Srivastava told PTI. The party sources close to PCC Chief sachin Pilot also said that Gandhi took motorcycle ride in Nimbaheda. Gandhi is accompanied by PCC Rajasthan chief Sachin Pilot and other party leaders, including Digvijay Singh, Girija Vyas, Kamalnath. Congressmen in several vehicles are accompanying Gandhi.

#WATCH Congress VP Rahul Gandhi travels by road on a motorcycle to Madhya Pradesh’s #Mandsaur pic.twitter.com/CWoUq0zpWS

— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2017

However, superintendent of police of Neemuch Manoj Kumar Singh said the Congress leader will not be allowed to enter the violence-hit district where the situation remains tense. If the Congress leader tries to enter the district, he will be detained, the SP said. [caption id=“attachment_3531115” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi walked some distance after getting off his car near the Neemuch border. Twitter/ @INCIndia[/caption] The Congress on Wednesday termed as “cold-blooded murder” the killing of five farmers in police firing and questioned the prime minister’s silence over it. The Congress accused the BJP of “acting as a curse of death for Indian farmers”. AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Wednesday that it was insulting and unfortunate that the BJP-led NDA government was in denial mode over the firing and accused it of spreading rumours and canards over who fuelled the farmers’ protest. He also hit out at the BJP for denying permission to people who wanted to go and express solidarity with the bereaved farmers, including Gandhi. The Congress vice president is visiting Mandsaur to meet the kin of the five persons who were killed in violence during the farmers’ agitation. Five persons were killed on Tuesday as the farmers’ agitation turned violent in Mandsaur, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in the trouble-hit area. Mandsaur has been on the boil since the farmers’ agitation in the district turned violent. Farmers in western Madhya Pradesh are protesting since June 1 over various demands.