'We were told not to meet Rahul Gandhi,' slain farmer's family on Mandsaur rally

Bhopal: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday was in Madhya Pradesh to address a rally at Pipliya Mandi in Mandsaur district.

The agenda of the rally was to commemorate the first anniversary of police firing on farmers during an agitation in which six farmers were killed. For this reason, families of the slain farmers were invited to share the stage with Rahul Gandhi at the rally.

However, the Congress accused the BJP of threatening the families of those farmers killed in the 2017 violence.

The Congress also took to Twitter to claim that administrative calls were being made and families were being told to not attend the rally.

According to an NDTV report, parents of Abhishek Patidar, who died last year, told news agency ANI that the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of the area called their other son and "asked who among us will meet Rahul Gandhi".

"When my son Sandeep told him that his parents are going, the SDM asked them to not meet Rahul Gandhi," they said.

Sandeep was provided with a government job last year on compassionate grounds.

BJP MLA (Mandsaur) Yashpal Singh Sisodia refuted the allegations claiming that the families are free to choose, according to The Times of India report.

"Nearest relatives of the victims have received compensation and jobs. They are not interested to go to Rahul's rally. Congress is approaching distant relatives asking them to attend the function," he alleged, accusing Congress of spreading rumours.