The Madhya Pradesh Congress launched a massive protest in Bhopal on Friday, targeting the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over various issues, including unemployment, inflation, and corruption. The protest was led by prominent Congress leaders, including state Congress chief Jitu Patwari, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, Youth Congress national president Srinivas BV, and state Youth Congress president Mitendra Singh.
The protesters, along with other senior Congress leaders, marched from Rangmahal crossing with the intent to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence. However, they were stopped by the police at Roshanpura crossing. As the Congress workers attempted to breach the barricades, the police responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Congress chief Jitu Patwari said, “Today, we are protesting against the state BJP government, demanding they fulfill the promises made during the state assembly elections. The government must prevent atrocities against Dalits, provide employment to the youth, and ensure proper MSP (Minimum Support Price) for farmers. If they fail, we will dismantle this government.”
He further added, “We will continue our protests across every district in the state, no matter how much force the police deploy. We are committed to fighting for the rights of the people.”
Congress MLA Vikrant Bhuria criticized the police’s response, stating, “The state government is treating us as if we are terrorists. We are here to raise the voice of the public. The police’s use of water cannons, tear gas, and lathi charges will not silence us. We are demanding action against the lack of employment, nursing scams, and the unsafe conditions for the Dalit community in the state.”
In response to the protests, Additional Commissioner of Police (Add. CP) Awadhesh Goswami told ANI, “Congress workers had permission to protest from Rangmahal to Roshanpura crossing. When they attempted to cross the barricades, we had to stop them. After they ignored our warnings, we used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.”
He added that a few Congress workers were detained for causing disturbances, and the situation has since been brought under control.