2,000 MP farmers breach barricades, march to CM's home, Gen Z protesters join in
Thousands of farmers have marched to the outskirts of Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal, and are planning to march to CM Mohan Yadav's residence. In the protest march over moong procurement policies of the state government, the protesting farmers received support from several GenZ individuals.
More than 2,000 farmers carrying clothes, bedding and enough food to last a week, breached police barricades and entered the outskirts of Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, on Tuesday night. They now aim to march to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence in Bhopal's Shyamala Hills. They are demanding 100% procurement of the moong crop and the abolition of the e-token system, which is meant to facilitate the procurement of farmers' produce and fertiliser distribution.
The development comes as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders met Uttar Pradesh-based farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in New Delhi to discuss the possibility of a joint platform for farmers, students and young people. Tikait is the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and led the farmer protests in 2020-2021 to cause repeal of three farmer laws passed by the Centre.
Meanwhile, several Gen Z supporters also reached the farmers' protest site to extend their support to the agitation, reported MP Tak, India Today Digital's sister portal.
According to a report in Aaj Tak Digital, the farmers, holding the tricolour and shouting slogans like "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" started marching from MP's Narmadapuram district (around 80 km south-east of Bhopal) under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Monday. They reached Bhopal's outskirts on Tuesday after an overnight journey. The group has set up camp near Savarkar Bridge, which is approximately 8 km away from CM Yadav's residence.
After the farmers reached Bhopal's outskirts, the MP government held its first round of talks that ended without a breakthrough. A ministerial committee has also been formed to hold talks with the protesting farmers and a meeting is expected to be convened by the state government led by Mohan Yadav at 6pm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking an increase in the approved moong procurement quantity. In response, Chouhan said the Centre had already sanctioned the highest procurement allocation for Madhya Pradesh and that any procurement beyond the approved quantity would have to be undertaken by the state using its own resources.
The Indian Express reported that the farmers overcame several police attempts to stop the march, including by breaching barricades at Sethani Ghat, where the march began, and later at the Mandideep border between Bhopal and Raisen districts.
On Wednesday noon, the protesting farmers remained gathered in Bhopal's Maharana Pratap Nagar and were preparing to march to the chief minister's residence, with many vowing not to return until their demands were met.
WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS OF FARMERS PROTESTING IN BHOPAL?
According to a report by news agency PTI, the farmers protesting in Bhopal are demanding 100% procurement of moong at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in Madhya Pradesh, a resolution to issues with the e-token system, and timely availability of fertilisers at affordable prices.
Unlike other pulses like urad, tur and masur, which the Centre is procuring at 100% MSP, moong continues to be procured under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), under which procurement is capped at 25% of the state's estimated production.
According to a report in The Economic Times, Madhya Pradesh recorded a bumper moong harvest this season. With sowing spread across 14.30 lakh hectares and an estimated yield of around 1,410 kg per hectare, farmers are expected to produce nearly 20.16 lakh metric tonnes of moong across the state. However, the Centre has approved procurement of only 4.54 lakh metric tonnes under the PSS.
In MP, moong is grown as a summer (zaid) crop, with major production concentrated in districts such as Harda, Narmadapuram, Sehore, Dewas, Raisen, Vidisha, Ujjain, Indore, Dhar, Khandwa and Khargone districts.
Aaj Tak Digital reported that farmer organisations have claimed they are suffering significant losses per quintal due to the existing procurement policy. The state government has fixed a procurement limit of 1.2 quintals (120 kg) of moong per acre at MSP. Farmers claim that an average one-acre crop produces around 4–5 quintals of moong, leaving them with a surplus that they have to sell outside the procurement system.
The MSP for moong has been fixed at Rs 8,668 per quintal. According to farmers, the remaining produce is often sold in the open market at prices ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 per quintal, resulting in losses of around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per quintal, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
In addition to demanding 100% procurement on moong, news agency ANI reported that farmers are also demanding the scrapping or reform of the e-token system used by the state to procure produce and distribute fertilisers.
INITIAL NEGOTIATIONS FAIL, STATE GOVERNMENT WRITES TO CENTRE
After the protesting farmers reached Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh government held its first round of talks with them on Tuesday night, which lasted for one hour. Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana met representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, but the discussions ended without a breakthrough, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
Following the meeting, Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (who represents neighbouring Vidisha in the Lok Sabha), seeking the Centre's intervention. In his letter, he said higher productivity had pushed this year's moong production beyond initial estimates and requested an increase in the procurement target to 8 lakh metric tonnes to allow more farmers to benefit from MSP.
Kansana said 4.19 lakh metric tonnes of moong had already been procured, and the existing target was likely to be achieved soon. He also highlighted that Madhya Pradesh contributes nearly 40% of India's moong production and urged the Centre to raise the procurement limit in the interest of farmers, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
Late on Wednesday, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in a letter addressed to CM Mohan Yadav, said the Centre has already approved procurement of 4.54 lakh metric tonnes of moong for Madhya Pradesh, the highest allocation in the country, accounting for 87% of the national approval under the PM-AASHA scheme. He clarified that the Centre does not set procurement targets for states and only approves procurement of up to 25% of a state's estimated production under the scheme.
Chouhan urged the state government to expedite procurement, noting that only around 60,000 metric tonnes had been procured by July 29 despite the approved quota. He further noted that the State Government was well within its rights to fund purchases beyond the quote approved by the Center using its own resources, stating, "Therefore, keeping farmers' interests in mind, I request the State Government to make all necessary arrangements related to moong procurement."
News agency PTI reported that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said a ministerial committee had been formed to hold talks with the protesting farmers. PTI also reported that Congress leader and former chief minister Kamal Nath wrote to Yadav on Tuesday, alleging that the government's inaction was causing distress among farmers.
FARMERS DECLARE INTENT TO MARCH TO CM RESIDENCE, GEN-Z PITCHES IN SUPPORT
A protesting farmer in Bhopal told Aaj Tak Digital that the farmers had set out to surround CM Mohan Yadav's residence, insisting that their march was being carried out in a democratic and constitutional manner. He alleged that the administration had tried to obstruct their movement at multiple points and treated them unfairly.
The protesters also alleged that the government was attempting to tarnish the image of farmers and create conditions to defame their movement. They maintained that they had no intention of damaging public property or harming government officials, and urged the administration not to stop them from reaching the CM's residence.
Aaj Tak Digital reported on Tuesday that these farmers, who had brought enough food to last a week, were cooking meals on the road, including dal-bati on portable stoves or on burning charcoal.
MP Tak, India Today Digital's sister portal, reported that several Gen Z supporters also reached the farmers' protest site to extend their support to the agitation.
This comes even as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss forming a joint platform for farmers, students and young people. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, who attended the meeting along with other party leaders and members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said the groups aimed to build a wider coalition against the Narendra Modi-led government. Tikait had earlier backed the CJP's student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, visiting the protest site multiple times.
With farmers in Bhopal refusing to back down, security arrangements at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence have been tightened, with the area converted into a multi-layered security zone. Police have set up barricades on key routes and deployed personnel from 20 police stations, battalions of the Rapid Action Force and the state police's Special Action Force, along with water cannons and other riot-control equipment.
More than 2,000 farmers carrying clothes, bedding and enough food to last a week, breached police barricades and entered the outskirts of Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, on Tuesday night. They now aim to march to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence in Bhopal's Shyamala Hills. They are demanding 100% procurement of the moong crop and the abolition of the e-token system, which is meant to facilitate the procurement of farmers' produce and fertiliser distribution.
The development comes as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders met Uttar Pradesh-based farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in New Delhi to discuss the possibility of a joint platform for farmers, students and young people. Tikait is the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and led the farmer protests in 2020-2021 to cause repeal of three farmer laws passed by the Centre.
Meanwhile, several Gen Z supporters also reached the farmers' protest site to extend their support to the agitation, reported MP Tak, India Today Digital's sister portal.
According to a report in Aaj Tak Digital, the farmers, holding the tricolour and shouting slogans like "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" started marching from MP's Narmadapuram district (around 80 km south-east of Bhopal) under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Monday. They reached Bhopal's outskirts on Tuesday after an overnight journey. The group has set up camp near Savarkar Bridge, which is approximately 8 km away from CM Yadav's residence.
After the farmers reached Bhopal's outskirts, the MP government held its first round of talks that ended without a breakthrough. A ministerial committee has also been formed to hold talks with the protesting farmers and a meeting is expected to be convened by the state government led by Mohan Yadav at 6pm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking an increase in the approved moong procurement quantity. In response, Chouhan said the Centre had already sanctioned the highest procurement allocation for Madhya Pradesh and that any procurement beyond the approved quantity would have to be undertaken by the state using its own resources.
The Indian Express reported that the farmers overcame several police attempts to stop the march, including by breaching barricades at Sethani Ghat, where the march began, and later at the Mandideep border between Bhopal and Raisen districts.
On Wednesday noon, the protesting farmers remained gathered in Bhopal's Maharana Pratap Nagar and were preparing to march to the chief minister's residence, with many vowing not to return until their demands were met.
WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS OF FARMERS PROTESTING IN BHOPAL?
According to a report by news agency PTI, the farmers protesting in Bhopal are demanding 100% procurement of moong at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in Madhya Pradesh, a resolution to issues with the e-token system, and timely availability of fertilisers at affordable prices.
Unlike other pulses like urad, tur and masur, which the Centre is procuring at 100% MSP, moong continues to be procured under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), under which procurement is capped at 25% of the state's estimated production.
According to a report in The Economic Times, Madhya Pradesh recorded a bumper moong harvest this season. With sowing spread across 14.30 lakh hectares and an estimated yield of around 1,410 kg per hectare, farmers are expected to produce nearly 20.16 lakh metric tonnes of moong across the state. However, the Centre has approved procurement of only 4.54 lakh metric tonnes under the PSS.
In MP, moong is grown as a summer (zaid) crop, with major production concentrated in districts such as Harda, Narmadapuram, Sehore, Dewas, Raisen, Vidisha, Ujjain, Indore, Dhar, Khandwa and Khargone districts.
Aaj Tak Digital reported that farmer organisations have claimed they are suffering significant losses per quintal due to the existing procurement policy. The state government has fixed a procurement limit of 1.2 quintals (120 kg) of moong per acre at MSP. Farmers claim that an average one-acre crop produces around 4–5 quintals of moong, leaving them with a surplus that they have to sell outside the procurement system.
The MSP for moong has been fixed at Rs 8,668 per quintal. According to farmers, the remaining produce is often sold in the open market at prices ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 per quintal, resulting in losses of around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per quintal, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
In addition to demanding 100% procurement on moong, news agency ANI reported that farmers are also demanding the scrapping or reform of the e-token system used by the state to procure produce and distribute fertilisers.
INITIAL NEGOTIATIONS FAIL, STATE GOVERNMENT WRITES TO CENTRE
After the protesting farmers reached Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh government held its first round of talks with them on Tuesday night, which lasted for one hour. Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana met representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, but the discussions ended without a breakthrough, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
Following the meeting, Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (who represents neighbouring Vidisha in the Lok Sabha), seeking the Centre's intervention. In his letter, he said higher productivity had pushed this year's moong production beyond initial estimates and requested an increase in the procurement target to 8 lakh metric tonnes to allow more farmers to benefit from MSP.
Kansana said 4.19 lakh metric tonnes of moong had already been procured, and the existing target was likely to be achieved soon. He also highlighted that Madhya Pradesh contributes nearly 40% of India's moong production and urged the Centre to raise the procurement limit in the interest of farmers, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
Late on Wednesday, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in a letter addressed to CM Mohan Yadav, said the Centre has already approved procurement of 4.54 lakh metric tonnes of moong for Madhya Pradesh, the highest allocation in the country, accounting for 87% of the national approval under the PM-AASHA scheme. He clarified that the Centre does not set procurement targets for states and only approves procurement of up to 25% of a state's estimated production under the scheme.
Chouhan urged the state government to expedite procurement, noting that only around 60,000 metric tonnes had been procured by July 29 despite the approved quota. He further noted that the State Government was well within its rights to fund purchases beyond the quote approved by the Center using its own resources, stating, "Therefore, keeping farmers' interests in mind, I request the State Government to make all necessary arrangements related to moong procurement."
News agency PTI reported that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said a ministerial committee had been formed to hold talks with the protesting farmers. PTI also reported that Congress leader and former chief minister Kamal Nath wrote to Yadav on Tuesday, alleging that the government's inaction was causing distress among farmers.
FARMERS DECLARE INTENT TO MARCH TO CM RESIDENCE, GEN-Z PITCHES IN SUPPORT
A protesting farmer in Bhopal told Aaj Tak Digital that the farmers had set out to surround CM Mohan Yadav's residence, insisting that their march was being carried out in a democratic and constitutional manner. He alleged that the administration had tried to obstruct their movement at multiple points and treated them unfairly.
The protesters also alleged that the government was attempting to tarnish the image of farmers and create conditions to defame their movement. They maintained that they had no intention of damaging public property or harming government officials, and urged the administration not to stop them from reaching the CM's residence.
Aaj Tak Digital reported on Tuesday that these farmers, who had brought enough food to last a week, were cooking meals on the road, including dal-bati on portable stoves or on burning charcoal.
MP Tak, India Today Digital's sister portal, reported that several Gen Z supporters also reached the farmers' protest site to extend their support to the agitation.
This comes even as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss forming a joint platform for farmers, students and young people. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, who attended the meeting along with other party leaders and members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said the groups aimed to build a wider coalition against the Narendra Modi-led government. Tikait had earlier backed the CJP's student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, visiting the protest site multiple times.
With farmers in Bhopal refusing to back down, security arrangements at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence have been tightened, with the area converted into a multi-layered security zone. Police have set up barricades on key routes and deployed personnel from 20 police stations, battalions of the Rapid Action Force and the state police's Special Action Force, along with water cannons and other riot-control equipment.
More than 2,000 farmers carrying clothes, bedding and enough food to last a week, breached police barricades and entered the outskirts of Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, on Tuesday night. They now aim to march to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence in Bhopal's Shyamala Hills. They are demanding 100% procurement of the moong crop and the abolition of the e-token system, which is meant to facilitate the procurement of farmers' produce and fertiliser distribution.
The development comes as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders met Uttar Pradesh-based farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in New Delhi to discuss the possibility of a joint platform for farmers, students and young people. Tikait is the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and led the farmer protests in 2020-2021 to cause repeal of three farmer laws passed by the Centre.
Meanwhile, several Gen Z supporters also reached the farmers' protest site to extend their support to the agitation, reported MP Tak, India Today Digital's sister portal.
According to a report in Aaj Tak Digital, the farmers, holding the tricolour and shouting slogans like "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" started marching from MP's Narmadapuram district (around 80 km south-east of Bhopal) under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Monday. They reached Bhopal's outskirts on Tuesday after an overnight journey. The group has set up camp near Savarkar Bridge, which is approximately 8 km away from CM Yadav's residence.
After the farmers reached Bhopal's outskirts, the MP government held its first round of talks that ended without a breakthrough. A ministerial committee has also been formed to hold talks with the protesting farmers and a meeting is expected to be convened by the state government led by Mohan Yadav at 6pm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking an increase in the approved moong procurement quantity. In response, Chouhan said the Centre had already sanctioned the highest procurement allocation for Madhya Pradesh and that any procurement beyond the approved quantity would have to be undertaken by the state using its own resources.
The Indian Express reported that the farmers overcame several police attempts to stop the march, including by breaching barricades at Sethani Ghat, where the march began, and later at the Mandideep border between Bhopal and Raisen districts.
On Wednesday noon, the protesting farmers remained gathered in Bhopal's Maharana Pratap Nagar and were preparing to march to the chief minister's residence, with many vowing not to return until their demands were met.
WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS OF FARMERS PROTESTING IN BHOPAL?
According to a report by news agency PTI, the farmers protesting in Bhopal are demanding 100% procurement of moong at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in Madhya Pradesh, a resolution to issues with the e-token system, and timely availability of fertilisers at affordable prices.
Unlike other pulses like urad, tur and masur, which the Centre is procuring at 100% MSP, moong continues to be procured under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), under which procurement is capped at 25% of the state's estimated production.
According to a report in The Economic Times, Madhya Pradesh recorded a bumper moong harvest this season. With sowing spread across 14.30 lakh hectares and an estimated yield of around 1,410 kg per hectare, farmers are expected to produce nearly 20.16 lakh metric tonnes of moong across the state. However, the Centre has approved procurement of only 4.54 lakh metric tonnes under the PSS.
In MP, moong is grown as a summer (zaid) crop, with major production concentrated in districts such as Harda, Narmadapuram, Sehore, Dewas, Raisen, Vidisha, Ujjain, Indore, Dhar, Khandwa and Khargone districts.
Aaj Tak Digital reported that farmer organisations have claimed they are suffering significant losses per quintal due to the existing procurement policy. The state government has fixed a procurement limit of 1.2 quintals (120 kg) of moong per acre at MSP. Farmers claim that an average one-acre crop produces around 4–5 quintals of moong, leaving them with a surplus that they have to sell outside the procurement system.
The MSP for moong has been fixed at Rs 8,668 per quintal. According to farmers, the remaining produce is often sold in the open market at prices ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 per quintal, resulting in losses of around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per quintal, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
In addition to demanding 100% procurement on moong, news agency ANI reported that farmers are also demanding the scrapping or reform of the e-token system used by the state to procure produce and distribute fertilisers.
INITIAL NEGOTIATIONS FAIL, STATE GOVERNMENT WRITES TO CENTRE
After the protesting farmers reached Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh government held its first round of talks with them on Tuesday night, which lasted for one hour. Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana met representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, but the discussions ended without a breakthrough, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
Following the meeting, Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (who represents neighbouring Vidisha in the Lok Sabha), seeking the Centre's intervention. In his letter, he said higher productivity had pushed this year's moong production beyond initial estimates and requested an increase in the procurement target to 8 lakh metric tonnes to allow more farmers to benefit from MSP.
Kansana said 4.19 lakh metric tonnes of moong had already been procured, and the existing target was likely to be achieved soon. He also highlighted that Madhya Pradesh contributes nearly 40% of India's moong production and urged the Centre to raise the procurement limit in the interest of farmers, reported Aaj Tak Digital.
Late on Wednesday, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in a letter addressed to CM Mohan Yadav, said the Centre has already approved procurement of 4.54 lakh metric tonnes of moong for Madhya Pradesh, the highest allocation in the country, accounting for 87% of the national approval under the PM-AASHA scheme. He clarified that the Centre does not set procurement targets for states and only approves procurement of up to 25% of a state's estimated production under the scheme.
Chouhan urged the state government to expedite procurement, noting that only around 60,000 metric tonnes had been procured by July 29 despite the approved quota. He further noted that the State Government was well within its rights to fund purchases beyond the quote approved by the Center using its own resources, stating, "Therefore, keeping farmers' interests in mind, I request the State Government to make all necessary arrangements related to moong procurement."
News agency PTI reported that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said a ministerial committee had been formed to hold talks with the protesting farmers. PTI also reported that Congress leader and former chief minister Kamal Nath wrote to Yadav on Tuesday, alleging that the government's inaction was causing distress among farmers.
FARMERS DECLARE INTENT TO MARCH TO CM RESIDENCE, GEN-Z PITCHES IN SUPPORT
A protesting farmer in Bhopal told Aaj Tak Digital that the farmers had set out to surround CM Mohan Yadav's residence, insisting that their march was being carried out in a democratic and constitutional manner. He alleged that the administration had tried to obstruct their movement at multiple points and treated them unfairly.
The protesters also alleged that the government was attempting to tarnish the image of farmers and create conditions to defame their movement. They maintained that they had no intention of damaging public property or harming government officials, and urged the administration not to stop them from reaching the CM's residence.
Aaj Tak Digital reported on Tuesday that these farmers, who had brought enough food to last a week, were cooking meals on the road, including dal-bati on portable stoves or on burning charcoal.
MP Tak, India Today Digital's sister portal, reported that several Gen Z supporters also reached the farmers' protest site to extend their support to the agitation.
This comes even as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders met farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss forming a joint platform for farmers, students and young people. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, who attended the meeting along with other party leaders and members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said the groups aimed to build a wider coalition against the Narendra Modi-led government. Tikait had earlier backed the CJP's student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, visiting the protest site multiple times.
With farmers in Bhopal refusing to back down, security arrangements at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence have been tightened, with the area converted into a multi-layered security zone. Police have set up barricades on key routes and deployed personnel from 20 police stations, battalions of the Rapid Action Force and the state police's Special Action Force, along with water cannons and other riot-control equipment.
