Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra on Saturday appealed to party workers to maintain calm and avoid any form of violent protest after unrest broke out in Datia over the party's decision to deny him a ticket for the upcoming assembly bypoll.
Addressing reporters, Mishra said the BJP's decision should be respected and differences should be raised through the party's internal forums rather than through public demonstrations.
"This is the party's decision. But after watching these videos where workers are protesting with petrol and kerosene, I just want to say that you can put forth your point at the party forum. There is a way to do it. This is not the way to express it," Mishra said.
His remarks came hours after thousands of his supporters clashed with police, blocked National Highway-44 and triggered widespread disruption in Datia following the BJP's announcement of Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the July 30 bypoll.
Datia protest turns violent
The protest, which began on Friday evening, continued for nearly 11-12 hours before police cleared the highway in the early hours of Saturday.
{{/usCountry}}The protest, which began on Friday evening, continued for nearly 11-12 hours before police cleared the highway in the early hours of Saturday.
{{/usCountry}}According to Datia district collector Swapnil Wankhede, the administration spent the night trying to persuade protesters to end the blockade. However, the situation escalated around 4.30 am when demonstrators allegedly began pelting stones at police personnel attempting to reopen the highway.
Police responded by firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Officials said several police vehicles and trucks were damaged, while one vehicle was overturned during the violence.
The district administration has also invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting any gathering, procession, sit-in, protest or public event without prior permission.
Police officers among those injured
Officials said the violence left several police personnel injured, including Datia Superintendent of Police Mayur Khandelwal, the sub-divisional police officer and other officers deployed at the site. District collector Wankhede also sustained a head injury despite wearing a helmet.
Speaking to reporters, Wankhede said police did not resort to a lathi-charge and instead relied on persuasion and tear gas to bring the situation under control.
SP Khandelwal said more than 3,000 protesters had gathered in Datia, attempted to shut markets and blocked NH-44, severely affecting normal life.
"We repeatedly appealed to them to withdraw the blockade. Around 4 am, they started pelting stones at police personnel, after which tear gas shells were fired," he said, adding that several protesters had been detained and warned of strict action in case of further violence.
The blockade reportedly caused traffic jams stretching up to 20 kilometres, affecting movement towards Jhansi, Gwalior and neighbouring districts. Authorities diverted vehicles through alternate routes and facilitated the movement of ambulances.
Why did the protests erupt?
The unrest followed the BJP's announcement on Friday naming Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the Datia Assembly by-election, overlooking Mishra, who had been preparing to contest the seat.
The decision sparked resentment among his supporters, with nearly 300 BJP office-bearers from the district to the panchayat level reportedly resigning in protest. Some workers were also seen threatening self-harm and demanding that the party reconsider its decision.
Tiwari, who hails from Sevda in Datia district and has been active in the BJP's organisational setup, thanked the party leadership after his nomination.
He also said Mishra was a senior leader and mentor who had assured him of support during the election campaign.
Why is the Datia bypoll being held?
The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified following his conviction in a cheating case. Bharti had defeated Mishra by more than 7,500 votes in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.
The Election Commission has scheduled polling for the Datia by-election on July 30, with counting of votes set to take place on August 3.