4 min readBhopalUpdated: Feb 22, 2026 11:28 AM IST
Clashes broke out between workers of the BJP and the Congress near the Congress office in Indore on Saturday, leading to stone-pelting, injuries to protesters, media personnel and a police officer, and the registration of multiple FIRs, police said.
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According to police, the confrontation occurred at Machhi Bazar when workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the BJP’s youth wing, gathered to protest against a recent demonstration by Youth Congress workers at the AI Impact Summit at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Tensions escalated despite barricading arrangements, resulting in stone-pelting from both sides. The ruling BJP shared a video on X, saying that a woman worker in Indore had suffered injuries due to a stone hitting her near her eye. BJP worker Bindu Chauhan was seen bleeding from her forehead and nose, alleging that “stones from the Congress office targeted her.”
The Pandhrinath police station registered two FIRs — one on the complaint of a BJYM worker and another on a complaint filed by Congress leaders — while a third case is being registered by police for obstruction of government work and violation of prohibitory orders.
In the complaint lodged by BJYM worker Avesh Rathore, police have named 20 Congress leaders and workers, including city Congress president Chintu Chokse and district president Vipin Wankhede, along with several unidentified persons. The complaint alleges that Congress workers abused BJYM protesters and attacked them with stones, bricks and bottles containing liquid, causing injuries to multiple people, including a woman worker whose eye was seriously injured. The case has been registered under sections related to unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal conspiracy.
According to a senior police officer, the complaint alleged that “around the time of the protest, Congress workers allegedly arrived at the spot and began using abusive language. They then resorted to stone-pelting and throwing bottles, which led to injuries to several BJP Yuva Morcha workers.”
Congress leaders, in turn, filed a complaint against unknown BJYM workers, alleging that they attempted to gherao the Congress office, hurled stones and pouches containing liquid, and damaged vehicles parked outside. The Congress FIR states that several party workers were injured and admitted to hospital. Sections related to voluntarily causing hurt, rioting with deadly weapons, endangering life and mischief have been invoked.
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Additional Police Commissioner Amit Singh said police had prior information about the protest and had deployed adequate force. “In the morning, we received information that Yuva Morcha workers would gather near the Congress office, following which double barricading was done. Suddenly, a water bottle was thrown, after which stone-pelting began. In this incident, some protesters, two to three media persons and a sub-inspector were injured,” Singh said, adding that three FIRs are being processed.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Krishna Lalchandani said it was too early to determine which side initiated the violence. “There were two parties at the site and proper police arrangements were in place. Suddenly, stones were thrown, and the situation escalated. People from both sides were injured,” he said.
Meanwhile, political leaders traded blame. Madhya Pradesh BJYM president Shyam Tailor alleged that Congress workers attacked BJYM protesters, while Congress SC/ST Morcha president Pradeep Ahirwar claimed BJP workers attempted to force their way into the Congress office.
Police said CCTV footage and video evidence submitted by both sides are being examined and those responsible for instigating violence would be identified and charge-sheeted.
