Police use water cannon, baton charge Congress protest in Bhopal
Jan 23, 2021
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 23 : Madhya Pradesh Police on Saturday used water cannons to disperse Congress workers who were taking out a march from Jawahar Chowk to Raj Bhavan in Bhopal against the new farm laws.
The police also resorted to baton charge and used tear gas on the protesters.
Several Congress workers were detained.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president and former chief minister Kamal Nath condemned the baton charge and said that their struggle in support of farmers will continue.
"I strongly condemn the brutal lathi-charge, use of tear gas and water cannon, and arrest of thousands of farmers and Congressmen, who are peacefully protesting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in support of farmers today," read Kamal Nath's tweet translated from Hindi.
"In this lathi-charge, many farmers, Congressmen, women and media colleagues have suffered injuries. Our struggle in support of the farmers will continue, we are not going to be afraid of such oppression," he said in another tweet.
Congress workers were protesting against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
On January 12, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the Centre's three farm laws and asked the committee formed by it to hold a dialogue with farmers and submit its recommendations pertaining to the farm laws within two months from the date of its first sitting.
