Activist gets bail, husband remains in jail for protesting Home Secretary ‘remark’

Students stage a protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Board Office Square in Bhopal on July 24, 2026. | Photo credit: AM Faruqui

An ACP court in Indore on Friday (July 24, 2026) granted bail to activist Sangita Pandey while her husband and fellow activist Prahlad Pandey remained in jail two days after the duo were arrested for staging a demonstration near the residence of Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya against the ongoing anti-nation protests.

Also Read: Jantar Mantar Protest Update on July 24, 2026

Indore-based activists staged a sit-in outside Mr Vijayvargiya’s residence in Nanda Nagar area on Wednesday (July 23, 2026), accusing him of calling the students protesting in New Delhi “insects” during his speech in the State Assembly on July 21.

Scenes outside the cabinet minister’s family residence turned chaotic after local police tried to remove them from the meeting room, with videos also showing some officers disrupting his interview with media persons.

The viral video shows Mr. Pandey telling reporters that he had come to question Mr. Vijayvargiya on three points. Afterwards, a police officer interrupts the interview and refuses to let him talk, leading to an altercation between the police and the media. After that, Mr. and Mrs. Pandey sat on the road.

Speaking to The Hindu, DCP Indore Zone 2 Aman Singh Rathore said that the pair of activists were taken into custody under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita on Wednesday (July 23, 2026) and that an FIR under Section 223 was later registered against them at the Sanhayahita police station.

The pair were produced before the court on the same day and sent to judicial custody. “They were taken into custody for protesting without prior permission in Nanda Nagar area. However, the FIR does not mention the residence of any political leader in the locality. Sangita Pandey was granted bail by the ACP court today (Friday) evening,” Mr. Rathore said.

The allegation of the “insect” remarks was made by opposition Congress leader in the Assembly Umang Singhar, while party MLAs also staged a demonstration on July 21 in the Assembly premises, demanding an apology from Mr Vijayvargiya.

This led to a controversy in the state and a war of words between BJP and Congress leaders inside and outside the House.

However, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar said on July 22 that he had checked the minutes of the assembly proceedings and that Mr. Vijayvargiya had not used the term.

Mr Vijayvargiya also said, “I did not say that. Whatever allegations he (Mr Singhar) has made are baseless. He has tried to tarnish my image in the minds of students studying in Indore. I will also speak to my lawyers and consider a defamation case.”

Mr. Singhar later alleged that Mr. Vijayvargiya had used the word “cockroaches” to describe the protesting students.

“Whether it is ‘insect’ or ‘cockroach’. In rural parts, cockroach is also called ‘insect’ in the language of the country. If Kailash Vijayvargiya uses the word ‘cockroach’ in the House and talks about anarchy in the nation, it means that you are directly blaming the youth for sedition. That should Kalash apologize to the Congress and they should apologise.

Following the controversy, Malkhan Singh Thakur, coordinator of BJP’s Bhopal district legal wing, also lodged a complaint with the local police and sought legal action against Mr. Singhar.

Published – 25 Jul 2026 12:46 IST