Congress workers, farmers stage protest over fertiliser shortage in Mauganj; over 500 detained
Mauganj (PTI): More than 500 Congress workers and farmers staged a protest in Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj on Sunday, alleging fertiliser shortage and other issues, breaching a barricade erected by the police to prevent them from meeting Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Protesters in vehicles led by former Congress MLA Sukhendra Singh Bana clashed with the police, climbing over barricades to reach the chief minister, who was at a function in the Deotalab area 16 km away.
The police erected barricades at the Bahuti bypass near Mauganj police station, and the protesters were not allowed to move ahead.
"We detained more than 500 protesters for a while, and freed them after the chief minister's function got over. The situation is peaceful," Mauganj additional superintendent of police Vikram Singh told PTI.
During the protest, former MLA Singh Bana alleged that they were raising serious issues affecting farmers and poor people.
He claimed that farmers were not getting fertilisers and were being unduly harassed and lathi-charged.
A few days ago, the police had lathi-charged farmers protesting the unavailability of fertilisers at a government distribution centre in Rewa.
In a press conference on Saturday, when former CM and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was asked about frequent protests by farmers in the state, he said fertilisers were available in sufficient quality, but the distribution network needed to be pruned.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
