Bhopal: Congress members injured in stage collapse during anti-BJP protest

Reportedly, six Congress leaders were injured when a stage collapsed during a protest against the ruling BJP at Rangmahal Chowk in Bhopal on 10 March, Monday. Among the injured were Dharmendra Singh Chouhan, chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Congress farmer wing, and veteran party leader from Gwalior, Gulab Singh.

They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The protest was organised by the opposition, the Congress, on the first day of the state assembly's budget session.

Starting at Rangmahal Chowk, the protest was intended to culminate in a march to the Vidhan Sabha, covering a distance of 3 km. However, as Congress leaders gathered on the stage to address the crowd, the structure suddenly collapsed, injuring several party workers and leaders. Police personnel, already deployed at the site, promptly transported the injured to the hospital using ambulances.

Despite the incident, the protest continued, with Congress workers attempting to breach police barricades. Water cannons were used to disperse the protesters.

Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar, arrived at the assembly premises wearing black clothes over their faces and holding placards criticising the BJP government. Singhar stated that the black clothes symbolised their protest against the BJP's silence on public issues and the alleged harassment of those who raise their voices.

“The Opposition seeks a debate on corruption, farmers' issues and public welfare during the budget session. However, the BJP is avoiding these discussions. When Congress MLAs raised questions about corruption, they were pressured to withdraw them,” Singhar alleged.

He further accused the BJP of shielding influential individuals, including politicians and senior bureaucrats, implicated in corruption cases.

Singhar specifically mentioned the arrest of ex-RTO constable Saurabh Sharma and his associates, demanding that the names of all involved be disclosed. “Why have chief minister Mohan Yadav and the BJP leadership remained silent? Investigating agencies have uncovered the involvement of several BJP leaders and senior bureaucrats,” he added.