Tue Feb 18 17:56:59 UTC 2025: ## Farmer Suffers Heart Attack After Officials Destroy Crop with Tractor
**VIDISHA, MADHYA PRADESH** – A farmer in Madhya Pradesh suffered a heart attack after local officials destroyed his standing crop using a tractor, sparking outrage and igniting a political firestorm. Moolchand, a farmer from Sironj tehsil in Vidisha district, collapsed after witnessing nearly 30 bighas (approximately 20 acres) of his crops being flattened. His wife’s desperate pleas to stop the officials were ignored.
The incident occurred in the Ketan Dam area. Tehsildar Vikas Agarwal justified the action, stating the land was encroached upon and leases had been cancelled two years prior. However, Moolchand maintains he paid a fine for the land in October and possesses a receipt as proof. Despite this evidence, the administration proceeded with the demolition.
“When I saw the tractor running over my hard-earned crop, I couldn’t bear it. I had a heart attack and fainted,” Moolchand recounted.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation. Images of Moolchand’s distress and his wife’s grief have fueled criticism of the administration. Opposition leaders are demanding accountability, with former Chief Minister Kamal Nath issuing a strongly-worded statement comparing the action to “British-era atrocities against farmers.” He stated, “Atrocities that were not committed against farmers even during the British era are happening under the BJP rule.” The incident has become a major political flashpoint in the state.
First Piper 