Video shows 'loot' of fertiliser in MP: Cong, BJP spar

Bhopal, Oct 11 (PTI) A video from Madhya Pradesh's Morena district surfaced purportedly showing some people, apparently farmers, taking away fertiliser bags from a truck, prompting the opposition Congress to claim on Monday a shortage of the farm material and its black-marketing in the BJP-ruled state, assertions denied by the saffron party.

However, the local administration denied any such incident taking place in Sabalgarh town of Morena district, which falls under the parliamentary seat represented by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

In the viral video, a couple of people, apparently farmers, are seen running away holding fertiliser bags on their shoulders with policemen after them.

Sabalgarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) L K Pandey said over the phone that some unidentified people came to purchase fertiliser and grabbed some sacks but the police brought the situation under control.

They ran away leaving fertiliser bags behind, he said.

Pandey said fertilisers were distributed to 1,600 farmers on Monday in the district.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Kamal Nath claimed there was a "huge shortage" of fertilisers in the state.

“Farmers are queuing up for fertiliser. The situation is bad even in the parliamentary constituency of the Union Agriculture Minister. Fertiliser is being being looted,” he said.

The government should arrange adequate quantity of fertiliser for farmers, the former CM said.

On the other hand, state BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said there was no shortage of fertliser.

"There was no shortage (of fertiliser) in the state. Such incidents are conspiracy and the state government is going to investigate them. Farmers are getting adequate fertiliser," he said. PTI COR ADU RSY RSY