Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district have filed an FIR against approximately 26 Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers for obstructing a National Highway during a farmers’ protest at Khalghat on May 7. The FIR revealed that protesters used tractors and vehicles to block the Indore-Ahmedabad National Highway, causing significant traffic disruptions and inconvenience to commuters. Authorities had to redirect traffic through alternative routes due to the blockade.
The FIR lists prominent Congress figures, including Gandhwani MLA Umang Singhar, Rajpur MLA Bala Bachchan, Kukshi MLA Honey Baghel, and Sardarpur MLA Pratap Grewal, among others. Additionally, legislators such as Jhuma Solanki, Kedar Dawar, Hiralal Alawa, and Montu Solanki, along with former minister Sachin Yadav, are named as accused in the FIR. District-level office bearers and local workers are also mentioned, including district Congress president Swatantra Joshi and Assembly in-charge Antim Dholi.
The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for offenses like unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, and obstructing a public way. Authorities are reviewing video evidence and CCTV recordings to identify more individuals involved in the protest. Further legal actions may be taken following the completion of the investigation.
The protest on May 7 was part of a state-wide Congress demonstration to address farmers’ concerns, focusing on issues like Minimum Support Price (MSP), crop insurance, timely supply of agricultural inputs, and adequate electricity for farming. In response to the FIR, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar criticized the BJP government for allegedly suppressing farmers’ voices through police measures. Singhar affirmed that the Congress would persist with its agitation despite the legal actions taken.
