Police in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district have registered an FIR against around 26 Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers for allegedly blocking a National Highway during a statewide farmers' protest at Khalghat on 7 May 2025. The case relates to a Congress-organised agitation demanding better agricultural support for farmers across the state.

What Happened at Khalghat

According to the FIR, protesters parked tractors and other vehicles on the Khalghat four-lane stretch of the Indore-Ahmedabad National Highway, disrupting traffic for several hours and causing severe inconvenience to commuters. Police were forced to divert vehicles through alternate routes as long queues built up on both sides of the blockade.

Key Names in the FIR

The FIR names several senior Congress legislators, including Gandhwani MLA and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, Rajpur MLA Bala Bachchan, Kukshi MLA Honey Baghel, and Sardarpur MLA Pratap Grewal. Other legislators booked include Jhuma Solanki, Kedar Dawar, Hiralal Alawa, and Montu Solanki. Former minister Sachin Yadav has also been named as an accused.

Several district-level office bearers and local workers are also named, including district Congress president Swatantra Joshi, Assembly in-charge Antim Dholi, and others such as Subhash Sirsiya, Jitendra Maliwad, Vikas Patel, Sudama Sen, Bhim Thakur, Pawan Jaiswal, Sanjay Panwar, Devendra Patidar, Sukram Makwana, and Puranlal Kharte, among others.

Charges and Investigation

The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, and obstructing a public way. Authorities are examining video footage, CCTV recordings, and other technical evidence to identify additional protesters involved in the blockade. Officials said further legal action may follow once the investigation is completed.

Farmers' Demands Behind the Protest

According to the administration, the 7 May protest was part of a statewide agitation by the Indian National Congress (INC) to highlight farmers' issues. The party raised demands related to Minimum Support Price (MSP), crop insurance, timely supply of fertilisers and seeds, and adequate electricity for agriculture — issues that have been at the centre of agrarian unrest across several states in recent years.

Congress Hits Back

Reacting sharply to the FIR, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of attempting to suppress farmers' voices through police action.