A day after five farmers died in police firing in Madhya Pradesh and eight farmers committed suicide during a strike in Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured that the government was sensitive to the issue and is trying to address it seriously.

“I am the son of a farmer, I had been the agriculture minister also, I am from village...let me assure that the Centre and the state government are trying to do everything possible,” Singh told reporters in Mumbai.

He said agriculture and welfare of farmers is top in the priority list of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre would provide all possible help to the states. Both the chief ministers - Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra and Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh are sensitive to the issue and are working towards providing succour to the farmers.

To a question whether someone has fulled the problem in Mandsaur in MP, he said: “I have received some information...some powers have attempted to instigate....the chief minister has assured a probe,” he said, refusing to elaborate further.

Singh said that farmers are a big pillar of the society. “They are the biggest producers and biggest consumers,” the senior BJP leader said.