Stage collapses at BJP farmer rally; three MLAs among 10 hurt

Ten people, including three BJP MLAs, suffered minor injuries when the stage erected by the opposition party for a farmer rally collapsed Tuesday here in Madhya Pradesh, said eyewitnesses.

The stage for the BJP's Kisan Aakrosh Rally, set up at Rajmohalla Square, suddenly caved in, they said.

About 60 people, including local BJP leaders and the party's elected representatives, were on the dais when the incident occurred in the afternoon, apparently due to overcrowding.

Ten people, including three BJP MLAs - Mahendra Hardia, Usha Thakur and Malini Gaud, who is also Indore's Mayor - were injured, the eyewitnesses said.

Former BJP MLA Rajesh Sonkar also suffered minor injuries in the incident, which was caught on cameras installed at the venue.

An ambulance was seen ferrying some of the injured.

None of the BJP leaders suffered serious injuries, city BJP media in-charge Devkinandan Tiwari said.

Tiwari said newly-elected Indore Lok Sabha MP Shankar Lalwani was among party leaders present on the stage at the time of the incident.

Meanwhile, an official of the Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) said three of the injured were brought to the the government-run medical facility.

The BJP had organised the rally to denounce what it claimed "non-fulfillment" of promises made to farmers by the states Congress government, which assumed office in December last year.

Leaders of the main opposition party said the Kamal Nath government had "failed" to fulfil its promise of waiving farm loans made during the November 2018 assembly elections.