Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar faces angry locals as he visits flood-hit Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh

Sheopur, Aug 07: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was on Saturday mobbed by angry locals and mud was hurled at his motorcade as he visited the flood-affected Sheopur city.

The city is part of his Morena Lok Sabha constituency in north Madhya Pradesh which was lashed by heavy rains earlier this week. When Tomar visited Karatia Bazaar in the city to meet flood-victims, people jeered at him and were heard saying that he had come too late.

As he got down from his car and consoled some persons including weeping women, his convoy followed him. People threw mud and small dry sticks at the vehicles, eye witnesses said.

People complained to Tomar that they were not alerted about the floods in time and it was the district administration's failure, witnesses said. Sheopur Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhaya said people complained to the minister that relief reached them late.

"But no vehicle in his motorcade was damaged," the SP added.

Talking to reporters later, the Union minister conceded that the administration had been lax, but added that confusion created by rumors about a dam having been breached too created a problem.

Help of every kind will be provided to the district, the minister assured. At least 24 people died and thousands were evacuated to safety as rains lashed the Chambal-Gwalior region of north Madhya Pradesh earlier this week.