New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district became a flashpoint after senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra was denied a ticket for the upcoming by-election; his supporters blocked the National Highway and attacked police personnel. Vehicles were stranded in a traffic jam stretching for 15 kilometres.
Five police personnel, including the Superintendent of Police (SP), were injured in the violence and hospitalised. Meanwhile, senior leader Narottam Mishra has issued a significant statement regarding the incident, breaking his silence on the matter for the first time.
Narottam Mishra Breaks Silence
Senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra has spoken out for the first time regarding the violence in Datia. He has earnestly appealed to his supporters to maintain peace and order. Addressing his supporters, Mishra said, “I said yesterday, and I reiterate today: this is the party’s decision. I appeal to you not to do anything that disrupts the peace.” He emphasised that grievances should be voiced within the appropriate party forums, not expressed through such outrage.
In essence, he did not condone the violence. The incident stemmed from the BJP denying a ticket to Narottam Mishra for the assembly by-election scheduled for July 30 in Datia; angered by this, his supporters created a ruckus, blocked the highway, and attacked the police.
Officials Share Key Details
Officials have shared significant details following the traffic blockade and subsequent violence by agitators in Datia. They reported that over 3,000 protesters blocked National Highway 44 (NH-44) for approximately 12 hours.
When the police attempted to reason with the crowd, they were pelted with stones, resulting in injuries to the Datia SP and several other police personnel. After a strenuous effort, security forces managed to clear the highway and arrest some of the agitators. The protest had caused a traffic jam stretching 15 kilometres along the highway.
Why Supporters Were Enraged
For context, the ruling BJP in the state announced Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the Datia by-election scheduled for Friday. This infuriated Narottam Mishra’s supporters. They initially took to the streets demanding that the BJP withdraw the ticket and subsequently blocked the road.
They were demanding the withdrawal of the BJP ticket. When the police arrived at the scene, the supporters behaved rudely towards them as well. The police used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the crowd, but the protesters remained defiant. They began pelting stones and pebbles at the police, leaving the Datia SP and about half a dozen police personnel injured.
