Madhya Pradesh | Congress protests over farm laws, cops use tear gas, water cannons

The Bhopal Police on Saturday lobbed tear gas shells, fired water cannons and even resorted to the use of ‘brute’ force to disperse a protest by the Congress in support of farmers who are up in arms over the Centre’s three contentious farm laws. The Congress contingent, which included former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath, senior leader Digvijaya Singh, former assembly speaker NP Prajapati among others, was marching towards the Raj Bhavan in Bhopal when the police blocked them.

The Congress leaders, workers and farmers gathered at Jawahar Chowk and as the procession approached Roshanpura square close to Raj Bhavan, the protesters broke through the barricading put up by police.

According to the police, the workers, who also included women, pelted stones on security personnel, which prompted them ‘to use mild force to disperse the agitators’.