Severe unrest in Madhya Pradesh state captured public attention, with protesters using symbolic “holocaust” and “gallows” demonstrations against the Ken-Betoa link and other development projects.
Earlier on Sunday, police broke up the protest against the Ken-Betwa link in the MP’s Chhatarpur district. The authorities dispersed the demonstrators and transferred the movement’s leader Amit Bhatnagar, who had been fasting for 11 days, to the hospital.
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Ken Betwa Project Protest
Tribal families affected by the Ken-Betwa river linking project have launched a ‘Chitta Andolan’ (funeral pyre protest) campaign. They claimed that they were displaced from their lands without any compensation, the news agency reported.
The protest, led primarily by tribal women, reportedly began on July 3 on the banks of the Paraná River near Kopi village. The agitation opposed the Ken-Betwa river linking project and other development works.
The demonstrators organized a ‘jal’ Satyagraha, a ‘chitta’ (funeral pyre) Satyagraha, and a symbolic ‘Vanisi’ (hanging) Satyagraha.
Read also | Police evacuate Ken Betoa protest site on the 17th, transporting fasting activist to hospital
Ken-Betwa Link Project
The National Ken-Betwa Link Project is a major irrigation project adopting underground pressurized pipe irrigation system. This project is being constructed on the Ken River in Chhatarpur and Panna MP districts.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti dated December 15, 2025, the cost of the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is $44,605 crore, with $39,317 crore of central support through a special purpose vehicle, Ken – Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA).
According to the government, the project will provide drinking water to 44 lakh people in the state and 21 lakh people in Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, the project will generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power, reported news agency ANI.
Read also | MP: Police remove protesters at Ken Betoa project
“…denied justice”: Amit Bhatnagar alleged
The project has faced opposition from environmental groups and affected families due to rehabilitation, displacement and impact on wildlife and forests, including parts of the Panna Tiger Reserve, according to a PTI report.
Moreover, Amit Bhatnagar said that people affected by the Ken-Betwa Link project and irrigation projects in Majhgaon and Rung have been denied justice, the report said.
He also claimed that displaced families lost their lands, forests, water resources, livelihoods and cultural identity. At the same time, some faced false criminal cases, illegal evictions, cuts to electricity supplies, and demolition of schools.
Reactions to the protest
Bijawar sub-district magistrate Vijay Dwivedi said the administration learned about the protest through media reports, noting that no prior information or official memorandum had been provided, Press TI had reported earlier.
Dwivedi added that officials interacted with the protesters and took stock of their pending demands. Moreover, he said that the grievances of people from Panna district will be addressed by the local administration, and issues related to the people of Chhatarpur will be resolved by the Chhatarpur administration.
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Umang Sengar criticized the police action and expressed concern over Bhatnagar’s hospitalization.
