Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police were on its toes right from the morning to quell farmers’ protest in the state capital. It briefly detained farmer activists at three separate places to release them later.
Farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakkaji was not allowed to move outside from his house (police refrains calling it house arrest) in the morning. However, later he was allowed to go to Raj Bhawan to submit the memorandum.
Another team of farmers was detained in Neelam Park and not allowed to go anywhere.
Medha Patkar, Dr Sunilam and others were ‘House arrested’ in Gandhi Bhawan and were not given permission to go to Governor House to submit the protest memorandum demanding repeal of farm laws.
Later in the afternoon the police said Medha Patkar was to free to go to Raj Bhawan. However, she and her team refused to go to out demanding ‘release’ of other activists being detained at Neelam Park.
Talking to journalists, Medha Patkar said all activists and farmer leaders wanted to submit a memorandum to the Governor. ‘There is an emergency like situation in Madhya Pradesh. But the government is not ready to listen to the pleas of people,’ she said.
Around five dozen farm activists detained in Neelam Park were then released after which Badal Saroj, Medha Patkar and three others were allowed to go to Governor House to submit the memorandum.
Nevertheless, they were not allowed to go inside the governor house and the memorandum was taken at the gate itself by the Raj Bhawan staff. But farm activists then mailed it to the governor and the president, later.
Badal Saroj said that the government did not want any kind of protest. They used the state machinery not hold peaceful protest pressing repeal of farm laws.
According to information, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has called a nationwide Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao march.
To participate in the march, social activists and farmer leaders from across the state gathered in state capital and were trying to march towards the Governor's house, when they were detained.
Sources said farmer leaders and farmers who had gathered at Neelam Park and other places in Bhopal were also detained and taken to the district police line.
