BHOPAL: In a major damage control exercise to woo farmers after the recent unrest in parts of Madhya Pradesh , the BJP launched its Kisan Sandesh Yatra , a farmer outreach programme , on Tuesday, to publicise government-run welfare schemes for peasants. The main programme was held at Rewa where party's state president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan officially kicked-off the campaign."The farmers' unrest in Malwa that turned violent during the first week of June was a conspiracy by a few people, who are now being exposed. Farmers can never be violent and damage public and private properties. Some elements tried to instigate the violence and misguided the farmers. The conspiracy will be exposed during Kisan Sandesh Yatra, being organised from June 27 to July 6, across the state'', said Nandkumar Singh while officially launching the campaign in Rewa.At least five farmers were killed on June 6 when police resorted to firing on a violent group during farmers' unrest in Mandsaur on June 6. The state government had ordered a judicial probe into the matter. The panel was asked to submit its report within three months. The government also suspended the district collector and SP of Mandsaur for failure to maintain law and order.The farmers' agitation was launched to demand a loan waiver and better prices for farm products. Ssince the unrest, more than 20 farmers, most of them debt-ridden, have reportedly committed suicide in the state. With opposition parties attacking BJP for ignoring farmers' interest, the saffron party decided to take out a Kisan Sandesh Yatra.The saffron party, which faces assembly polls in 2018 and Lok Sabha elections in 2019, is also mulling a major damage control exercise to get rid of the `anti-farmer' tag that is haunting it ever since the police firing in Mandsaur and reports of farmers' agitations across the country. The state government is also seeking Centre's nod to announce a loan waiver like Uttar Pradesh and other states.Rejecting allegations about government's failure, Nandkumar Singh said that it was Madhya Pradesh government which had initiated zero per cent and then minus 10 per cent interest loan for the farm community, distributed Rs 4800 crore as calamity relief and is planning a direct market for farmers to sell their produce at a profitable margin."Our public representatives will approach the farm community during the Kisan Yatra and lend ear to their grievances. We will also try to take their problems to the competent authority, besides apprising farmers about the welfare schemes being run by the state and central governments," said the state BJP chief.He said in districts and assembly constituencies, party MLAs and district heads in association with division in-charge would take out Kisan Rath during weekly markets and haat bazar, where chaupals and street meetings will be held to create awareness about welfare schemes.He also attacked Congress for its failure to provide basic facilities to farmers during its 70-year rule. He said ?chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was a `Kisan Putra' (son of a farmer) and very sensitive to problems of cultivators. The state government is working hard to double the income of farmers by 2022, a goal set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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