5 Congress leaders escorted into forest after sit-in protest:Uproar over massive tree felling in Singrauli; Jitu Patwari accuses administration of favouring Adani group

Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders staged a protest on Wednesday against the alleged large-scale felling of nearly six lakh trees in the Basi–Berdaha region of Singrauli district. A delegation comprising State Congress Chief Jitu Patwari, along with Omkar Markam, Kamleshwar Patel, Jayvardhan Singh, Neha Kaware and several party workers, was stopped by the administration while travelling to meet affected families and inspect the alleged deforestation site. In response, the leaders launched a two-hour sit-in protest on the road near Dhirauli village. Around 4:30 PM, the administration allowed the team to enter the forest area under police supervision. The leaders were escorted in vehicles monitored closely by police convoys. After inspecting the location, Patwari alleged that nearly 10,000 acres of mountains, forest land and surrounding terrain had been “destroyed and handed over to Adani,” claiming that the activity was carried out without necessary permissions. ‘Administration is working for Adani’,alleges Congress Senior Congress leader Patwari alleged that tribal families were being given only Rs 4 lakh in compensation, while other landholders were being paid Rs 16 lakh.
He further claimed that nearly 2,000 police personnel had been deployed in the area, with battalions stationed at 25 points across 10,000 acres. “What message does this send? The administration has become an employee of Adani,” he said. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring industrialist Gautam Adani, calling the allocation of 10,000 acres in Madhya Pradesh part of a broader political nexus. See pictures of the protest.. Congress team stopped; protest erupts on road A 12-member delegation of Congress fact-finding team had reached Singrauli in the morning but was stopped by police at Dhirauli. This led to a road blockade, with over 200 Congress workers protesting and chanting slogans against the administration. Umang Singhar and Vikrant Bhuria reached the forest by bike Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar and MP Vikrant Bhuria managed to travel on motorcycles and reached the alleged tree-cutting site inside the forest. Other leaders condemned the restrictions as a violation of democratic rights. ‘If everything is legal, why stop us?’ State Congress president Jitu Patwari questioned why their team was barred from entering the forest if all activities were being carried out lawfully. He accused both the Centre and the Adani Group of influencing unilateral administrative action. Former Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh ‘Rahul Bhaiya’ said the administration’s refusal to grant permission amounted to “dictatorial behaviour,” adding that the party would continue its protest if access was denied. Over 800 police personnel deployed Given the tense situation, heavy security was deployed along the route leading to the site. Police forces were summoned from Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Satna, Mauganj, Bhopal, Mandla and Chhindwara—amounting to more than 800 personnel, along with QRF units. Officials said the situation remained under control. Congress demands immediate halt to tree felling Senior leaders—including Jitu Patwari, Umang Singhar, Ajay Singh, Vikrant Bhuria, Jayvardhan Singh, Meenakshi Natarajan, Hemanth Katare, Bala Bachchan, Hina Kaware, Omkar Markam and Kamleshwar Patel—demanded an immediate stop to the alleged cutting of trees and strict action against those responsible. Local residents also supported the protest, warning that large-scale deforestation would destroy green cover and trigger future crises related to pollution and water scarcity. The Congress fact-finding committee will now prepare a detailed report and submit it to the party’s top leadership.