Overview
- The Madhya Pradesh Congress, which staged a highway blockade Thursday, halted traffic along a reported 747‑km stretch of the Mumbai–Agra route across at least 11 districts, creating long queues and hours‑long snarls.
- Protesters said wheat buying at government centers has stalled because of slot‑booking glitches, slow weighing, too few weighbridges, and late payments, and they demanded price‑gap compensation under the Bhavantar scheme, guaranteed buying at the government floor price known as MSP, payment within seven days, and more or larger procurement centers.
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav countered that the state has procured 4.1 million tonnes of wheat and paid Rs 6,520 crore so far, and he urged farmers to book delivery slots through May 23.
- State Congress chief Jitu Patwari led sit‑ins in Shajapur, and Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar rallied crowds at Khalghat, as party leaders warned of phased escalations if buying and payments do not speed up.
- BJP leaders accused Congress of politicising farmer distress and defended ongoing purchases, while the protests left trucks and buses stuck and farmers said unsold grain and cash delays are squeezing them during peak harvest.