The Congress Party on Saturday said they were being unfairly blamed by the Bhartiya Janta Party for inciting violence in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, even as a video showing a Congress MLA encouraging farmers to burn down a police station in Madhya Pradesh emerged online. Farmers have been protesting in the two states, demanding better prices for their produce and loan waivers.

Shakuntala Khatik, a Congress MLA from Shivpuri, can be seen in one of the videos asking people to accompany her and burn down a nearby police station. In the video, a police officers requests her to calm down. This has little effect on Khatik, who can he heard shouting,” Thane mein aag laga do [Burn down the police station].”

In a second video, Congress MLA from the Rau seat Jeetu Patwari can be seen in an altercation with Indore SDM Sandeep Soni. Patwari is being accused by the officer of breaking his promise to keep peace in the Chowkram Mandi in Indore, reported The Times of India.

The videos emerged online three days after six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur, which is currently under curfew, reported Business Standard.

The chaos was further aggravated as Rahul Gandhi, along with other party members, was arrested in Neemuch while trying to enter Mandsaur on Thursday. The Congress vice-president was later released.

BJP leader S Prakash accused the Congress of “stooping low and staging a violent protest, merely for the sake of votes”. “I request the government to immediately arrest the miscreants and book them under relevant Acts to ensure normalcy in Madhya Pradesh,” Prakash had said earlier. “Certain Congress elements who are instigating violence and appealing the mob to set the police station on fire have been caught on camera red-handed.”

He also demanded that Rahul Gandhi apologise for the irresponsible behaviour of his partymen.

The Congress said they are being wrongfully blamed as it was the BJP that ordered the police to open fire at the farmers. “Why will the Congress spoil the situation in Madhya Pradesh when the BJP is ordering the police to open fire at the farmers and kill them,” Congress leader P L Punia told ANI. “This allegation has rightly proved that the government does not consider the farmers, poor and the Dalits as a priority in the country,” he added.

Congress leader PC Chako also said nothing had been done so far for helping out the farmers. Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Arun Yadav said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had blood on his hands and no right to hold his position. This comes hours after Chouhan began an “indefinite fast for peace” in Madhya Pradesh, where six farmers have been killed in the violence so far.