Bhopal, May 12 The police used water cannons to stop a protest march taken out by the Youth Congress workers who were marching towards Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's official residence here on Thursday.
Several Congress leaders, including Youth Congress chief Shrinivas BV, were detained as they tried to cross the police barricades. They were released later.
The youth wing of the Congress had organised the march to protest against inflation, unemployment and atrocities against tribals in the state.
Around 2,000 Congress leaders and workers from across the state had gathered to make the protest successful.
The protesters marched from the Vypam Square near the party office and headed toward the CM's residence. However, the police barricaded the area near the Red Cross Hospital. The protesters tried to jump over the barricades, prompting the police to use water cannons to disperse the crowd.
State Congress President Kamal Nath, leader of opposition Govind Singh, senior leader Ajay Singh (Rahul), former state party chief Arun Yadav and several other party leaders joined the protest.
Addressing the protesters at a nearby crossing, Kamal Nath alleged that the BJP government has failed to rein in inflation, unemployment and corruption.
He said the state government has also failed to prevent the atrocities being committed on members of the tribal communities.
He pointed that on May 3, two tribals were allegedly lynched by a mob on the suspicion that they had slaughtered a cow in Seoni district.
"The BJP has the police, money and administration to use against the opposition, but it cannot stop Congress' protest," Kamal Nath added.
Before the protest, Kamal Nath had appealed to the youth on Twitter to join the "fight to save Madhya Pradesh".
"The MP government wants to quell the voice of the youth. We are going to form the government in MP in 2023," former Union minister Arun Yadav told reporters after the police detained the party leaders.
Addressing the protesters, former leader of opposition Ajay Singh said that maximum number of youth should be given a chance in the upcoming Assembly elections to be held in 2023.
The police informed that around 60 Congress leaders and workers were detained from the protest site, who were released later.
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