Farmers' protest in MP's Dhar escalates, district admin issues prohibitory orders to ensure law & order

Indore, Dec 1 A huge protest of farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, on Monday, prompted the district administration to issue prohibitory order to ensure that law and order is under control.

Under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Majdoor Sangh (BKMS) and some others, farmers from several districts such as Dhar, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone and others blocked a highway at a toll plaza in Manawar town in Dhar.

After failing to convince farmers to call off their protest, the district administration later on Monday, imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in order to keep the situation under control.

Meanwhile, security at the protest site has also been strengthened further.

Protest began early Monday morning and as the day proceeded, more and more farmers on tractor-trollies reached at the site, making the administration to deploy more security forces there.

Meanwhile, Manawar Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Pramod Gurjar holding a loudspeaker announced that Section 163 of the BNS has been imposed at the protest site.

He appealed the protesting farmers not to create violence during the protest.

"Video recording is being carried out by multiple drone cameras to keep an eye on activities at the site. Those will be found disrupting the law and order will face tough action as per the law," Manawar SDM was said announcing through a loudspeaker.

Farmers demanded that the state's Agricultural Minister Aidal Singh Kansana or any other senior Minister should talk to them.

Agitating farmers said they are protesting because the state government did not listen to their grievances.

"In the past six months, we wrote several letters to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and requested a meeting to raise farmers' issues. However, we didn't receive any response from the Chief Minister. Now, we are left with no option but to hit the streets to get our voice heard," a protesting farmer said.

Sources told IANS that a group of farmers had met senior BJP leader and the State Agriculture Minister Kansana and handed over a memorandum of their demands.

However, a dialogue on this issue could not proceed further and farmers decided to hit the streets.

The demonstration disrupted traffic on NH-52, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded for hours.

During the protest, the farmers recited Hanuman Chalisa and chanted religious slogans while carrying posters and banners.

Officials, who arrived at the protest site, requested the farmers to call off the protest, promising to convey their message to senior government authorities.

"Some government officials had come and requested to call off the protest, but we want it in writing. Such promises were made earlier also, but nothing has happened so far. We want any senior Minister should come for a meeting here," Ramswaroop Patidar, a BKMS member, said.

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