Bhopal/Dhar, May 9 Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district have registered an FIR against around 26 Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers for allegedly blocking a National Highway during a statewide farmers’ protest organised by the Congress at Khalghat on May 7.
FIR copy available with IANS stated that protesters parked tractors and other vehicles on the Khalghat four-lane stretch of the Indore-Ahmedabad National Highway, disrupting traffic for several hours and causing severe inconvenience to commuters.
Police had to divert vehicles through alternate routes as long queues built up on both sides.
The FIR names several senior Congress leaders, including Gandhwani MLA and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, Rajpur MLA Bala Bachchan, Kukshi MLA Honey Baghel, and Sardarpur MLA Pratap Grewal.
Other legislators booked include Jhuma Solanki, Kedar Dawar, Hiralal Alawa, and Montu Solanki. Former minister Sachin Yadav has also been named as an accused.
Several district-level office bearers and local workers are also named in the FIR. These include district Congress president Swatantra Joshi, Assembly in-charge Antim Dholi, Subhash Sirsiya, Jitendra Maliwad, Vikas Patel, Sudama Sen, Bhim Thakur, Pawan Jaiswal, Sanjay Panwar, Devendra Patidar, Sukram Makwana, and Puranlal Kharte, among others.
Police said the case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, and obstructing a public way.
Authorities are examining video footage, CCTV recordings, and other technical evidence to identify additional protesters involved in the blockade. Officials said further legal action may follow after the investigation is completed.
According to the administration, the May 7 protest was part of a statewide agitation by the Congress to highlight farmers’ issues. The party raised demands related to Minimum Support Price (MSP), crop insurance, timely supply of fertilizers and seeds, and adequate electricity for agriculture.
Reacting sharply to the FIR, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar accused the BJP government of trying to suppress farmers’ voices through police action.
“Congratulations to the farmers of my state. The BJP government has been intimidated by you. When voices demanding farmers’ rights were raised across the state, including at Khalghat, the BJP chose to file FIRs instead of finding a solution,” Singhar said.
He questioned the government’s move, asking, “Is demanding MSP for farmers a crime? Is speaking for crop insurance, fertilizers, seeds, and electricity a sin?”
Singhar said the Congress would continue its agitation despite the police action.
“The Congress party is prepared to face even police batons for the sake of farmers. If it comes to going to jail, Umang Singhar is ready to do so a hundred times over. The fear is visible in your FIRs, not in the voices of farmers. The fight for the rights of our Annadatas will now be fought with even greater resolve,” he added.
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