INDORE: With folded hands, a 65-year-old farmer rolled up and down the corridors of Mandsaur collectorate in MP on Tuesday, wailing, “What will I do now?” Farmer Shankarlal Patidar alleged that his land was illegally occupied by land mafia.
After the video went viral, Congress criticised the govt for being ‘anti-farmer’, while BJP accused the farmer of creating a “drama”.Mandsaur collector Dileep Yadav said they had Patidar’s claims investigated and found that he was in illegal possession of land that had already been sold.
Patidar had gone to the collector’s jan sunwai (public hearing) on Tuesday to protest alleged encroachment of his agricultural land. He claimed that he repeatedly filed complaints with the authorities, and even wrote to the President, Prime Minister and chief minister, but received no help.
He insisted the land was rightfully his. “The land is in my possession, but some people are trying to encroach it. I have been seeking the administration’s help to save my land,” the farmer told local mediapersons.
Collector Yadav, however, rejected his claim. According to Yadav, Patidar owns a 1.2-hectare plot of land but has been illegally occupying an adjacent plot of 1.76 hectares that belonged to his family members. This second plot was sold to someone named Ashwini Deshmukh in 2010, and the property registration is completed, say district officials.
Yadav said the administration’s probe confirmed that Patidar was illegally occupying sold property. He advised the farmer to pursue legal action for his claim as reclaiming sold land is under civil court jurisdiction.
State Congress chief Jitu Patwari criticized the BJP govt, accusing the saffron party of “continuing its enmity with farmers”.
BJP hit back by asking Congress to get its facts checked. “Congress only knows how to spread lies. Patwari should have first learnt about the entire case before making any comment as the farmer has possession of his land, but created the drama to maintain illegal possession of an adjacent land that his family members have already sold,” BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja said.
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