Bhopal: Gunvant Patidar, who bailed out the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government during the farmers' stir in Mandsaur last year, not only quit the BJP ahead of Assembly elections but also alleged harassment by police at the behest of the ruling party.
The young leader confirmed the development to News18, saying he resigned from the BJP around three days ago as the party failed to help the distressed farmers.
Patidar on Monday submitted a complaint to the district collector and the SP that he was abused and threatened by SHO of Narayangarh over phone on the intervening night of October 21 and 22.
“If the administration fails to act upon my complaint, I am open to move court,” he claimed.
The Collector said that an inquiry will be conducted in the matter.
“Patidar has submitted a written complaint and call records of the said incident. He has also submitted an online complaint to Election Commission of India. An inquiry would be carried out in this issue,” Mandsaur Collector OP Shrivastava said.
Patidar further expressed disappointment over the fact that a clean chit was given to the cops guilty of gunning down farmers which was an injustice to those killed in the stir.
Patidar, who is associated with Naujawan Kisan Sabha which is part of All India Kisan Co-ordination Committee, denied any possibility of him joining the Congress. He, however, categorically accused the Modi government at the Centre of duping farmers by not fulfilling the promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
“If Congress or any other party makes concrete promises for farmers, we can think about extending support in elections,” said Patidar.
The 38-year-old had got elected for the post of Zila Panchayat vice president as an independent in 2015 but had later joined the BJP.
In 2017, Gunvant Patidar was assigned to force a compromise between the aggrieved farmers and the state government, after the government failed to reach out to the farmers.
Gunvant Patidar, along with other BJP leaders, accompanied the kin of farmers killed in the June 6 Mandsaur firing to meet Shivraj Singh Chouhan on June 10 when the CM sat on an indefinite fast in the aftermath of violence triggered by farmers' stir.
In the past, Patidar has been accused of his involvement in opium smuggling. A local court in Mandsaur had punished him with five year' imprisonment and fine on charges of opium smuggling, but the high court had later granted him bail.
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