Madhya Pradesh Police breached the dignity of striking farmers in Bundelkhand by reportedly stripping them half-naked and lathi-charging. The brutal police act has evoked sharp reaction from within and outside the media world across the country.

In an ironic similarity, farmers throughout the country have been facing many crises which are not exactly addressed in the right manner by their respective State Governments. Tamil Nadu’s farmers have been in the middle of their second spell of protest in the national capital for the past few weeks pressing for implementation of various demands besides seeking Centre’s intervention in resolving their issues.

Farmers congregated in front of a Govt.office and presented their list of demands addressed to the District administration.  Politicizing the issue, the ruling BJP in the State alleged that the protest was triggered by the Congress party.  When the protest turned violent, the police used tear-gas shells, batons and water cannons to disperse the farmers.  The farmers later accused the police of detaining them at the police station after stripping and beating them up.

Photograph of farmers sitting cross-legged at the police station in their under-garments went viral on social networking sites, thus triggering sharp reaction from netizens as well as social activists. Congress Party, which accused the State Govt.of humiliating and assaulting farmers for no apparent reason, said it would take the issue to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Madhya Pradesh chief-minister Shivraj Chauhan later said that the State would never tolerate or keep quiet in the face of violent protests.  He put the blame on the Congress party for fomenting trouble by supporting the farmers’ violent protests.