Explain to nation attacks on farmers, teachers: Cong to BJP

New Delhi, Oct 18 (UNI) The Congress today said the BJP owed an explanation to the nation for its ''violence-prone, intolerant and anti-democratic'' behaviour as manifested in the recent ''suppression'' of the farmers' agitation in Rajasthan, the killing of a teacher in Ujjain and the assault of a policeman who was protecting its leader L K Advani.

Instead of addressing the concerns of the aggrieved, the BJP and its state governments were resorting to violence and misuse of the police force against the suppressed sections of people, Congress Spokesman Abishek Singhvi alleged while speaking to reporters.

''We saw it in Ujjain where a teacher was battered to death and in Bhopal where a so-called BJP youth leader attacked and seriously injured the security personnel protecting Mr Advani. Now, the whole nation watches as the Rajasthan government seeks to suppress an agitation by farmers who are demanding water,'' he said.

The true colour, nature and philosophy of the BJP had been exposed by these repeated, unjust actions which were ''obviously not isolated aberrations,'' Mr Singhvi said.

When pointed out that three of the five states, which mainly accounted for farmers' suicides, were ruled by the Congress, he said the party's governments were fully involved in mitigating the sufferings of the indebted agriculturists, not in using brute force against them.

UNI SN VA HS1730