In Datia, Madhya Pradesh, supporters of former Home Minister Narottam Mishra, angered by his failure to secure a ticket, staged a road blockade on National Highway-44 on Friday evening; the situation escalated into violence late at night.
दतिया: टिकट कटने पर नरोत्तम मिश्रा समर्थकों का उत्पात, NH-44 जाम, पथराव में SP-ASP समेत 8 घायल, 15 KM लंबा जाम
Protests erupted and turned violent after the BJP announced its candidate for the by-election to the Datia Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh. Supporters, upset that former Home Minister Narottam Mishra was denied the ticket, blocked National Highway-44 on Friday evening; the situation escalated into violence late at night.
According to the Datia administration, the blockade lasted for about 11 hours, and the situation was brought under control only around 5 AM. The protest caused a traffic jam stretching 20 to 25 kilometers. The impact extended beyond Datia to Jhansi, Shivpuri, and Gwalior, with Gwalior being the most affected. Several buses and ambulances were also caught in the gridlock.
Drama Lasted All Night
Datia Collector Swapnil Wankhede stated that the administration tried to reason with the protesters throughout the night, but they remained adamant. Around 4 AM, the police and administration once again appealed to the protesters to clear the road, but the protesters responded by pelting stones at the police.
According to the Collector, as the situation deteriorated, the police fired tear gas shells to push back the crowd. Subsequently, the protesters retreated into an office building and continued to pelt stones at the police from there. A total of eight police personnel, including the Superintendent of Police (SP), Additional SP, and SDOP, sustained serious injuries during the violence. Collector Swapnil Wankhede mentioned that he was also hit on the head by a stone, though he escaped serious injury because he was wearing a helmet.
No Lathi-charge or Retaliatory Stone-pelting: Datia Collector
According to the administration, several vehicles were vandalized during the violence. The windshields of three to four police vehicles were smashed, multiple trucks were damaged, and some vehicles were overturned. The Collector stated that the police neither resorted to a lathi-charge nor engaged in retaliatory stone-pelting throughout the incident.
The administration made every effort to handle the situation peacefully, and tear gas was used only when no other option remained. He stated that the administration is currently appealing to the protesters to come out one by one and return to their homes. The administration does not wish to take any punitive action if they emerge peacefully. However, strict action will be taken against them if they attempt to come out in groups or disrupt law and order again.
Supporters Upset Over Narottam Mishra Not Getting the Ticket
The BJP has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari instead of former Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra as its candidate for the Datia by-election. Mishra and his supporters had expected the party to give the ticket to him. Following the announcement of the candidate, a large number of supporters took to the streets and began protesting.
It is worth noting that in the 2023 assembly elections, Congress’s Rajendra Bharti defeated Dr. Narottam Mishra by a margin of approximately 7,500 votes. The Datia seat fell vacant after Rajendra Bharti’s assembly membership was terminated following his sentencing to three years in prison by a Delhi court in a fraud case. Voting for this seat is scheduled for July 30, with the vote count taking place on August 3.
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