A Congress MLA performed 'Sheershasan', or headstand, during a farmers' protest here in Madhya Pradesh after the collector allegedly did not come to receive their memorandum listing various demands.
However, Sheopur Collector Rakesh Shrivastava told PTI that he went to receive the memorandum.
The incident took place on Monday evening when Congress MLA Babusingh Jandel along with his supporters and farmers went to the collectorate to demand a hike in compensation for cultivators' land acquired for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Progressway.
They also demanded approval for construction of the Mujhri dam in the area and bonus for wheat crop purchased at minimum support price.
Jandel got angry when Shrivastava did not come to receive the memorandum at the spot in the collectorate premises where farmers were protesting.
He said the collector sent Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rupesh Upadhyaya to collect the memorandum.
Jandel and his supporters then took off their shirts and the MLA performed 'Sheershasan' to draw the attention of officials towards the farmers' demands.
After protesting and raising slogans against the administration for over two hours, the farmers pasted their memorandum on the wall of the collectorate and went back.
"We staged the protest before the collectorate for over two hours, but the collector did not come in the midst of farmers to receive the memorandum," Jandel told reporters.
When contacted, the collector said, "I had gone to receive the memorandum."
He, however, refused to answer any further query on the issue.
Kisan Sanghthan president Ramji Lal Meena said farmers want four times the compensation that they are being given in lieu of their land acquired for the expressway, and also approval for the construction of Mujhri dam in the area.
