Chhatarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Umang Singhar on Sunday criticised the police action against protesters opposing the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Chhatarpur district.
Singhar alleged that the police forcibly removed protesters who were sitting in agitation and called the action 'undemocratic'. He said peaceful protests over alleged corruption in the project and tribal rights should not be suppressed.
Singhar said, “Loktantra mein asahmati ka samman hona chahiye, kyunki sawaal poochhna har nagrik ka sanvaidhanik adhikar hai. Lekin BJP sarkar ne pradarshan ki har aawaaz ko kuchalna apna shasan model bana liya hai. Ken-Betwa Link Pariyojana mein bhrashtachar aur adivasi adhikaron ke liye shantipurn aandolan kar rahe Amit Bhatnagar ji aur unke saathiyon ki giraftari poori tarah aloktantrik hai.”
(Dissent should be respected in a democracy, as asking questions is the constitutional right of every citizen. However, the BJP government has made suppressing every voice of protest its model of governance. The arrest of Amit Bhatnagar and his associates, who were peacefully protesting against alleged corruption in the Ken-Betwa Link Project and for tribal rights, is completely undemocratic.)
‘I demand immediate release of protesters’
He also expressed support for activist Amit Bhatnagar and other protesters who were part of the agitation, and alleged that their arrest was against democratic values.
Singhar added, “Aandolankariyon ki tatkaal rihaai ki maang karta hoon aur sarkar se daman chhodkar prabhavit logon ki baat sunne tatha nishpaksh jaanch ki appeal karta hoon. BJP ko yah samajhna chahiye ki loktantra laathi se nahi, samvaad se chalta hai.”
(I demand the immediate release of all arrested protesters and appeal to the government to stop suppression, listen to the concerns of affected people, and order a fair investigation.)
Singhar added that democracy works through dialogue and not through the use of force. His remarks came after police cleared the protest site in Chhatarpur, where activists had been opposing the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other development works.
