Police in Madhya Pradesh shifted an activist on hunger strike at Ken-Betwa to hospital
The Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday (July 19, 2026) morning cleared the site where several tribals had been protesting against the Ken-Betwa river link and other irrigation projects in Chhatarpur district for over two weeks and shifted protest leader Amit Bhatnagar, who has been on hunger strike for 14 days, to hospital.
The action in the early hours of Sunday comes a day after the Delhi Police, in a similar move, on Saturday (July 18, 2026) forcibly removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from his Jantar Mantar protest site on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike and took him to hospital.
VIDEO | The Madhya Pradesh Police removed the protesters and ended the ‘satyagraha’ launched against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other irrigation schemes.
The protest, mostly by tribal women, took place on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village in Chhatarpur… pic.twitter.com/8cyMPglsJm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 19, 2026
Madhya Pradesh police also dismantled a protest site on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village and removed symbolic boundaries erected by the protesters, with police saying the decision to carry them out of the water was taken due to rising water levels following heavy rains in the area.
However, several protesters refused to budge and accused the police of chasing them out and assaulting the women. The videos also showed police personnel pulling the women away from the shore, as well as some officers forcing Mr. Bhatnagar into an ambulance.
It has been raining heavily in the area for the past two days, causing the river to overflow, and measures have been taken to prevent any untoward incident as women, children and the elderly were among the protesters, Chhatarpur Collector Parth Jaiswal told The Hindu.
Mr. Bhatnagar has been admitted to a civil hospital in Bijawar and his vital signs are stable, Mr. Jaiswal said.
“We have also received information from the meteorological department about more rains in the coming days. Hence, the police reached the spot around 5 am and interviewed the protesters. But they went and stood in the middle of the river and that’s why the police had to surround them and take them out,” he said, adding that the protesters were dropped to their villages in Panna district in buses.
“We have also noted their concerns and shared them with the Panna administration. Doctors are also monitoring Amit Bhatnagar’s health,” Mr. Jaiswal said, denying allegations of assault and forcible removal.
“He (Mr Bhatnagar) protested here for many days, so a team of doctors with police and administration came here for his basic medical check-up. He himself took interest and contacted (the authorities) that his health was deteriorating a bit. So a team of police force, doctors and administration came here and he was sent to the hospital peacefully,” said Patin Chhatarpur.
The women at the protest site were taken to their homes in buses, Mr. Patle said.
“There is a bridge under construction here and the river levels are also rising because of the rain. This place is not safe, that’s why they were moved from here,” he said, adding that the protesters were “cooperating” with the authorities.
However, videos emerged from the scene showing protesters, mostly women, holding on to each other as they tried to cross the river amid the strong current of water, even as staff asked them to step ashore. Protesters were also heard to have been forcibly removed by the authorities.
At the hospital, Mr Bhatnagar said the police action came on a day when he planned to “uncover the details of the ₹400 crore corruption” related to the compensation process. According to him, the police forcibly took him to the hospital.
“My health was not that bad. My indefinite hunger strike continues. I will not break it. I will not drink water or breathe if forced,” he said, denying police claims that he was brought with his consent. He also accused the police and authorities of being insensitive towards the protesting women.
Residents of several villages, mostly tribals from Panna and Chhatarpur districts, protested on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village for nearly two weeks against the Union government’s ₹44,000 crore project and various state irrigation projects, with several protesters tying nooses around their necks and lying on the river in a makeshift symbol of protest.
A unique demonstration with the slogan ‘nyaya do varna maar do’ (either give us justice or kill us), which was first held in April, was resumed earlier this month after discussions and efforts by the government failed to convince the villagers.
Their demands include improved rehabilitation and compensation packages and the addition of people allegedly left out of the displacement survey.
Earlier on Saturday, Delhi Police forcibly took Mr. Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar in the national capital. An educationist and activist from Ladakh along with the Cockroach Janta Party and its supporters are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in several examinations.
The opposition criticizes the police intervention
Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Umang Singhar criticized the police action, claiming that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “has made suppressing every dissenting voice its ruling way”.
The Congress leader demanded the immediate release of all detained protesters, including Mr. Bhatnagar, while seeking an independent probe into the allegations related to the Ken-Betwa project.
“Asking questions in a democracy is not a crime, but the BJP government has made suppressing every dissenting voice its model of government. The government is afraid of those protesters who are not afraid of the government. The government has chosen the path of suppression over dialogue,” the Congress leader said on social media platform X.
“The BJP government must understand that democracy does not rest on canes and arrests, but on dialogue and the constitution. The way peaceful protests have been dealt with for two consecutive days is a clear signal that the country is not being pushed towards democracy, but towards dictatorship and an atmosphere of fear,” Mr Singhar said, comparing the action in Madhya Pradesh to that of the Wangchuk police.
Published – 19 Jul 2026 11:52 IST