MP Farmers Block Mumbai-Agra Highway Over MSP, Loan Waiver Demands; Section 144 Imposed In Dhar

Mumbai-Agra Highway Farmer Protest: Thousands of farmers from Barwani, Dhar, Khargone and Khandwa districts on Monday blocked the busy Mumbai-Agra National Highway (NH-52) at Khalghat, bringing traffic to a complete standstill for over eight hours.

The protesters, led by the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, squatted on the highway, placed logs on the road and even cooked dal-bati on the spot. Many have brought blankets and bedding, signalling they are ready for a long haul.

In view of the agitation, Dhar district administration has imposed Section 144 across the entire district and deployed heavy police forces at Khalghat and nearby areas.

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Key Demands of the Farmers

- Government procurement of cotton, maize and soybean at MSP rates

- Complete loan waiver for all farmers

- Legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP)

- Four times the guideline rate as compensation under land acquisition

The first round of talks between the administration and farmer leaders failed on Monday. National president of the Mahasangh, Shivkumar Kakkaji, is expected to reach the protest site on Tuesday.

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Heavy Traffic Chaos And Police Action

NH-52 connects Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Long queues of trucks and vehicles stretched for kilometres on both sides.

Police set up barricades on Khalghat, Kasrawad and surrounding routes from early morning and stopped tractors coming from nearby villages. Tension flared briefly on the Khargone route when farmers heading to join the protest were stopped.