Bhopal/Indore, February 21 – Several people, including media and police personnel, were injured when workers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress allegedly engaged in a violent clash and pelted stones at each other.
The violent clash occurred during a state-wide protest organized by the Yuva Morcha of the BJP's Madhya Pradesh unit to express anger against the "semi-nude" protest by Congress workers during the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Friday.
The violence occurred after BJP workers were staging a protest near the Congress office (Gandhi Bhavan) in Indore.
The protest was organized in Bhopal and several other parts of Madhya Pradesh, during which, BJP workers burned effigies of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, including in Bhopal, Gwalior, Rewa, and Indore.
According to preliminary information from officials, the situation escalated during a BJP Yuva Morcha protest when Congress and BJP workers pelted stones at each other. Water bottles, oil bags, stones, as well as oranges and tomatoes, were also thrown, the officials said.
Videos that surfaced on social media showed that the clash occurred in the presence of police personnel. Additional forces and water cannons were deployed to control the violent crowd.
Videos also showed a Sub-Inspector (SI) rank police officer and a media person (cameraman) sustaining injuries in stone pelting, and they have been admitted for treatment.
After the violent clash, both BJP and Congress accused each other of stone pelting.
"Congress workers pelted stones during a peaceful demonstration organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha at Rajwada in protest against the Bharat Mandapam incident," said Ashish Agarwal, the media in-charge of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
He claimed that BJP officials and women workers were injured in this violence.
"The stones and bricks scattered on the road outside the Congress office clearly indicate that the Congress party came prepared to incite violence. The stone pelting was initiated by the Congress party itself, which exposes its chaotic and intolerant mindset," he alleged.
However, state Congress president Jitu Patwari, who is from Indore, came out with a series of allegations against the BJP, stating that, "BJP workers openly pelted stones in front of the Congress office, seriously injuring Indore District President Vipin Wankhede and several Congress colleagues. Many civilians and journalists were also injured."
Indore police said that law and order was brought under control and further action will be initiated following the investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, the security outside the Congress offices in Bhopal and Indore has been further strengthened.