Ken-Betwa Project Protest: Police Action Caught on Camera As Demonstrators Removed From Site; Videos Surface
On July 19, police cleared a 17-day protest in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district against the Ken-Betwa Link Project. Officials cited rising water levels and health concerns for clearing the site, moving protesters home via bus. Conversely, organisers alleged forceful detentions to suppress claims of corruption. The state maintains the project complies with the law.
Madhya Pradesh Police cleared a protest site on the banks of the Barana River on Sunday, July 19, ending a 17-day demonstration against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other regional irrigation schemes. Authorities moved in during the early hours to remove protesters, including movement leader Amit Bhatnagar, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 14 days. Footage from the scene showed a heavy police presence, with officers dismantling symbolic funeral pyres and tents set up by the demonstrators near Kupi village.
In some instances, police were recorded dragging protesters away from the riverbank as others held onto each other in an attempt to remain at the site. Following the operation, the administration transported participants to their respective home districts in Panna and Chhatarpur via bus. UCC in Madhya Pradesh: Only Those With One Marriage Will Have Right to Reside in State, Says CM Mohan Yadav.
Madhya Pradesh Police End Protest Against the Ken-Betwa Link Project
VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh police removed protesters and ended the 'satyagraha' that was launched against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other irrigation schemes.
ASP Chhatarpur Aditya Patle says, "A team of doctors came here along with the police and the administration so that… pic.twitter.com/Q30WPLqrjc
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 19, 2026
Police Forcibly Take Amit Bhatnagar
Amit Bhatnagar, leading the protest against Ken Betwa river linking project was on indefinite hunger strike... Today morning the police forcibly took him from the protest site apparently for medical checkup.
All the other protestors were sent back to their homes on buses... pic.twitter.com/gkwFSgU578
— Vishnukant Tiwari (@vishnukant_7) July 19, 2026
Police Cite Safety Concerns
Officials justified the early morning intervention by citing the deteriorating health of the protest leader and imminent safety risks at the site. "A team of doctors came here along with the police and the administration so that they could conduct a basic medical check-up," said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Aditya Patle. "The women who were present here were also peacefully seated in buses and dropped back to their homes because this is an under-construction bridge, and due to the rains, the river's water level has risen. Therefore, the area was not considered safe, so they were moved from the site,"Â Patle said.
Cops Break Up Ken-Betwa Project Protest on 17th Day
VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh police removed protesters and ended the 'satyagraha' that was launched against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other irrigation schemes.
The protest, mainly by tribal women, was being held on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village in Chhatarpur… pic.twitter.com/8cyMPglsJm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 19, 2026
While the administration maintained that no formal arrests were made, protest organisers disputed this characterisation. Protest leader Divya Ahirwar alleged that police personnel arrived in large numbers around 5Â AM and forcibly took participants into custody before Bhatnagar could address the media. "Our movement leader Amit Bhatnagar was going to expose alleged corruption of INR 400 crore in the Ken-Betwa project today. But from 5 AMonwards, the police administration arrested all our protesters," Ahirwar claimed.
Core Grievances of the Agitation
The demonstration, spearheaded primarily by tribal women, began on July 3. Throughout the protest, the group utilised various symbolic methods to express their dissent, including jal satyagraha (protesting while standing in water) and chita satyagraha (symbolic funeral pyres), to protest the potential submergence of their villages under the Daudhan reservoir. Protesters have long alleged irregularities in land acquisition, inadequate rehabilitation, and the loss of cultural identity and livelihoods. Bhatnagar specifically demanded that the administration stop the intimidation of villagers and publicly disclose the full list of project-affected families. Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Reshuffle: CM Mohan Yadav Withdraws Animal Husbandry Portfolio From Minister Lakhan Patel.
The state government, however, rejects these allegations. Officials maintain that the Ken-Betwa Link Project is a nationally significant infrastructure initiative designed to provide irrigation and drinking water to the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. The administration asserts that the project is being executed in full compliance with the law and that genuine grievances are being addressed through established official channels.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 20, 2026 10:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
