Police Detain Ken-Betwa Protest Leader Amit Bhatnagar

Madhya Pradesh Police detained protest leader Amit Bhatnagar and approximately 150 demonstrators on Sunday morning in Chhatarpur district. The action occurred at Kupi village, effectively halting a 14-day indefinite fast led by Bhatnagar against the Rs 44,605-crore Ken-Betwa Link Project. Authorities cited health concerns for Bhatnagar’s removal, moving him to a local hospital, while the detained protesters were relocated to Panna district.

The protest centered on allegations of irregularities in land acquisition, compensation, and rehabilitation efforts for families displaced by the Daudhan Dam. Bhatnagar claimed that Gram Sabha records were fabricated and that compensation was mismanaged, citing specific instances of funds being awarded to ineligible recipients. Chhatarpur Collector Parth Jaiswal dismissed these allegations, asserting that the majority of protesters were not project-affected and were primarily raising grievances related to separate water projects in neighbouring Panna district.

Officials maintain that legitimate grievances are being addressed through established administrative channels. The Ken-Betwa Link Project, India’s first major river-linking initiative, remains a contentious subject due to its impact on nearly 2,000 families across the region. The immediate focus shifts to the health of the detained leader and whether the state government will initiate a formal review of the compensation records as demanded by the displaced villagers.