MP farmers' stir: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi released on bail

NEW DELHI: Hours after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's arrest for entering violence-hit Mandsaur on a motorcycle, he has been released on bail. The arrest came after Madhya Pradesh police's warning to Gandhi that he would not be allowed to enter the violence hit district.  However, he was arrested by police when he tried to force his way into Madhya Pradesh with surging crowds of Congress supporters shouting slogans in praise of the farmers. "I only wanted to meet farmers who are the citizens of this country.No reason given for my arrest. PM can only give bullets to farmers," he said. Gandhi, also accompanied by senior party leaders Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath, defied elaborate police arrangements to prevent him from entering the state. Slogans of "Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan" and "Rahul Gandhi zindabad" could be heard as the procession made its way towards Mandsaur, the ground zero of the farmer unrest where five people were killed on Tuesday, from Naya Gaon in Neemuch. There was high drama as the police tried to stop what had turned into a rally of sorts with Gandhi leading from the front. When police tried to push him back, he entered a field and was 'arrested'. Rahul Gandhi left for Mandsaur where five farmers were killed during protests earlier this week even as the local police made it clear that he will not be allowed to enter the district. Superintendent of Police of Neemuch Manoj Kumar Singh had said the Congress leader will not be allowed to enter the violence-hit district where the situation remains tense. If the Congress leader tries to enter the district, he will be detained, the SP had said. The Congress on Wednesday termed as "cold-blooded murder" the killing of five farmers in police firing and questioned the prime minister's silence over it. The Congress accused the BJP of "acting as a curse of death for Indian farmers". Five farmers were shot dead and dozens injured in police firing on protesting peasants on Tuesday in Madhya Pradesh. The deaths took place in Mandsaur, 340km from Bhopal. Meanwhile, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government on Thursday transferred the collector and superintendent of police of Mandsaur district . Mandsaur Collector Swatantra Kumar Singh is transferred as deputy secretary Mantralaya. Singh was replaced with OP Shrivastava, official sources said. The government also transferred Mandsaur SP, OP Tripathi and posted Manoj Kumar Singh in place of him, the sources added. The Centre rushed 1,100 anti-riots police personnel and contingents of RAF were also deployed.