BHOPAL: Protests by farmers demanding 100 percent government procurement of Moong (green gram) on minimum support price which started in multiple districts of central Madhya Pradesh, reached the state capital Bhopal on Tuesday.
Around 2000 farmers reportedly from multiple districts, including Narmadapuram, Raisen and adjoining districts, marched to Bhopal, breaking multiple police barricades at least thrice inside the state capital, before they were stopped from moving any further by the large police deployments on the final barricades near the Veer Savarkar Setu – just 7 km from the CM Dr Mohan Yadav’s official residence.
While breaking through multiple barricades in Bhopal, farmers-police face off was reported at many places.
Dubbed as the Kisan Kranti Yatra, the protest march into Bhopal is being led under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which reportedly includes participation of farmers associated with 19 farmers outfits.
The farmers are marching on foot, accompanied by fellow farmers on motorbikes and even tractors, which bore foodgrain for sustaining their movement in Bhopal for the next few days.
The farmers are mainly focussing on two demands, with the first one being the 100% government procurement of the Moong crop on MSP, while the second demand pertains to discontinuing the e-token system for distribution of fertilizers to farmers. The farmers are demanding that instead of the e-token system, farmers should be distributed on the basis of land records.
One of the farmer outfit leaders, the Krantikari Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan Youth Wing state president Arun Patel said the farmers would continue their agitation until their demands were met. He said the protesters were marching to surround the Chief Minister's residence, alleging that farmers had been assured a meeting with the Chief Minister but they were misled.
"We are marching to surround the Chief Minister's residence. We were given an assurance that the Chief Minister would meet us, but later we were told that he had gone to Delhi. However, he was in Datia for the election campaign. Farmers are angry because they feel they are being misled and that attempts are being made to weaken their movement," Patel alleged.
Meanwhile, former MP CM Kamal Nath on Tuesday, urged the BJP government to speed up procurement of moong (green gram) at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“Madhya Pradesh is the country's largest producer of moong, and the Centre has approved procurement of around 4.54 lakh metric tonnes for the state during the 2025-26 season, accounting for nearly 87 per cent of the total quantity approved across the country. However, citing media reports, he said only around two per cent of the approved quantity had been procured in the state till July 16. The situation is extremely concerning for lakhs of farmers. Moong growers are waiting to sell their produce at MSP. Due to the slow pace of procurement, they are being forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices," Nath said.