The state capital was under virtual siege on Monday as the farmers agitating under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), affiliated with Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, converged here from all parts of the state to go on a sit-in agitation to press their demand for immediate resolution of their burning problems.
All roads leading to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence remained choked and normal life of the citizens was affected on Monday as thousands of farmers started pouring into the city riding their tractor-trolleys for a “battle to the finish”.
The farmers started arriving here in large numbers on Monday morning and began converging at the polytechnic square — the venue of their sit-in agitation near the chief minister’s residence. Soon normal traffic was disrupted as the city roads were filled with tractor-trolleys and other vehicles bringing the farmers to Bhopal. In the process, office-goers and more particularly school children had a harrowing time especially while returning home.
Clashes were also witnessed between the farmers and commuters at the busy Roshanpura square close to Raj Bhavan. There was heavy police presence and Rapid Action Force personnel were also keeping a close watch over the situation. Till the time of filing this report, the agitation was continuing.
The farmers are mainly agitated on the issue of electricity, water and poor supply of fertilisers.
When this correspondent talked to one of the agitators, he said farmers were being compelled to commit suicide and were being sent to jail for not honouring fake and fictitious electricity bills.