'Modi govt fears truth and non-violence': Rahul Gandhi on Ken-Betwa protest crackdown

Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of fearing truth and non-violence after police dispersed tribal protests against the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Madhya Pradesh.

Tribal communities held a water satyagraha and hunger strike for 15 days, demanding fair compensation and dignified rehabilitation for land taken for the Ken-Betwa project.

Police cleared the protest site on July 19 in Chhatarpur district, ending the agitation.

Gandhi asserted that tribals have the first right over water, forests, and land, and that the Congress party would ensure justice for them.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project is India's first river-linking project aimed at irrigating 1.062 million hectares and providing drinking water to 6.2 million people in Bundelkhand.