NEW DELHI, June 9 - The Centre has asked States adjoining Madhya Pradesh to keep a strict vigil against the spread of farmers� protest after five people were killed in police firing during an agitation at Mandsaur.
The Central Government is in touch with States such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and sensitising them against any possible protest by farmers.
The move came after various farmer organisations in Rajasthan and Punjab threatened to launch an agitation if their various demands were not met.
The Home Ministry has also dispatched around 200 personnel of the anti-riots Rapid Action Force to Madhya Pradesh in the wake of continued sporadic incidents of violence and farmers� protests in some parts of the State.
So far, 1,300 personnel of the paramilitary force were sent to Madhya Pradesh to help the State Government restore peace and bring back normalcy.
�The Home Ministry is in touch with the neighbouring States of Madhya Pradesh and asked them to keep a strict vigil on the prevailing situation,� a Home Ministry official said. So far, there has been no report from any other State about farmers� protest or any incident of violence. � PTI
