Thousands of Farmers Gather in Bhopal

Demanding Full MSP Procurement of Moong, March Toward CM's Residence

Report By Y-Trendz

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh — July 29, 2026

Thousands of farmers from across Madhya Pradesh converged on the state capital this week in one of the largest agricultural protests the state has seen in recent years, marching on foot from Narmadapuram

to Bhopal to demand full government procurement of their moong (green gram) crop at the Minimum Support Price.

The March and Its Demands

A group of farmers marched from Narmadapuram to Bhopal on Tuesday, demanding 100 percent procurement of moong at the Minimum Support Price, the scrapping of the e-token system, and fertiliser distribution based on land records. The protesters moved toward the state capital as part of an effort to gherao — surround — the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, raising slogans throughout the march.

Farmer leaders said more than 2,000 farmers, along with hundreds of tractors and trolleys, took part in the protest, and that they planned to lay siege to the Chief Minister's residence if their demands were not accepted. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body coordinating the agitation, said 19 farmer organisations from across the state had joined the movement.

The protest is rooted in a dispute over procurement limits: farmer groups say they have produced 4 to 5 quintals of moong per acre this season, but the government has fixed the procurement limit at just 1.2 quintals per acre, forcing many farmers to sell the remainder of their produce in open markets at lower prices. Farmer groups had already been protesting for nearly one and a half months across Narmadapuram, Harda, and other districts over this demand before escalating to the march on Bhopal.

Clashes With Police

Protesters were seen pushing through police barricades as security personnel attempted to stop the march near the Obdullahganj area. Krantikari Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan Youth Wing state president Arun Patel said farmers had been stopped at roughly 15 different locations since beginning their foot march from Narmadapuram, but that they had crossed every obstacle and remained confident of reaching the Chief Minister's residence. "This is only the beginning. The movement will continue to grow day by day until 100 percent procurement of moong is ensured and the e-token system is withdrawn," Patel said.

Around 70 farmer leaders were detained from Narmadapuram, Harda, Itarsi and other locations during the "Chalo Bhopal" march, with organisers alleging that police were suppressing farmers' voices by detaining and placing leaders under house arrest. Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Shiv Kumar Shukla, known as "Kakkaji," said the government was "suppressing farmers' voice" through detentions despite the marchers' demands being "justified," and pointed to what he described as a political face-off between state and central governments over procurement quotas that was causing massive financial losses for growers forced to sell in open markets.

Narmadapuram Sub-Divisional Magistrate Devendra Pratap Singh maintained that the farmers' protest had remained peaceful throughout, with no violence reported in any area, and said police barricades had been installed only to maintain law and order during the foot march.

Political Reaction

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath urged the BJP state government to speed up procurement of moong at MSP, calling the situation "extremely concerning for lakhs of farmers." "Moong growers are waiting to sell their produce at MSP. Due to the slow pace of procurement, they are being forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices," Nath said. Nath had separately written to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav urging that the moong procurement process be expedited.

Timeline of the Standoff

The march had been planned well in advance: 13 farmer organisations under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha banner announced they would begin their foot march to Bhopal after performing a Narmada Pujan ceremony at Sethani Ghat, with farmers expected to reach the capital by the evening of July 29 and stage a protest outside the Chief Minister's residence on July 30. Ahead of the march, police had set up barricades on roads leading into Narmadapuram city and tightened security at key entry points, while organisers alleged that some of their office-bearers had been taken from their homes by police to unknown locations and could not be reached.

Where Things Stand

By late Tuesday, protesters had managed to reach the vicinity of Barkatullah University in Bhopal — roughly 10 kilometres from the Chief Minister's residence — despite the barricading efforts. With farmer leaders vowing to continue the agitation and a further escalation planned for July 30, the standoff between the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the Madhya Pradesh government over moong procurement appears set to intensify in the coming days, adding pressure on the state government at a politically sensitive moment.