New Delhi: On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday on September 17, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated by organising commemorative events across the country. Governments in BJP-ruled states also engaged in these celebrations. Official functions were held, during which mandated ‘Aashirwad ka Diya (lamp of blessings)’ were also lit. These functions were mounted using taxpayers’ money.On the evening of September 17, farmers in Jetpar village of Morbi district in Gujarat registered their protest by burning effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. Farmers there had been opposing a power project linked to the state’s BJP government and industrialist Gautam Adani for the past four months.Shortly after the incident, a complaint was filed by the inspector of the Morbi police station and a first information report was registered immediately against 21 farmers.According to the complaint, the accused individuals allegedly orchestrated a pre-meditated conspiracy to ignite a fire after sprinkling flammable liquid on a public road, thereby creating an atmosphere of terror. The complaint further charges them with disturbing public peace.Speaking to The Wire Hindi, protesting farmers have stated that although the police have registered cases against 21 farmers, the 21,000 farmers participating in the movement are equally prepared to go to jail. They asserted that “this FIR violates our constitutional right to peaceful protest.”Incidentally, this farmers’ movement has received support from Karabhai Amritiya and Bharatbhai Amritiya – the brothers of Kantibhai Amritiya, the BJP MLA from Morbi and Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development, and Employment in the Gujarat government. In a conversation with The Wire Hindi, Karabhai described the FIR filed by the Morbi police as a tactic to harass the farmers.“I stand in solidarity with the farmers. Our movement has intensified following this FIR. The police were seeking to make arrests, but within no time, ten thousand farmers assembled, and the administration was unable to take any action,” he said.Last month, Karabhai Amritiya participated in a farmers’ meeting and issued a warning to the government and the company. In July, both the brothers of the minister – Karabhai and Bharatbhai – joined the farmers in a sit-in protest. During that protest, Karabhai Amritiya also undertook a fast that lasted for 19 days.Why is the protest taking place?This protest in Jetpar, held on the prime minister’s birthdaym occurred at a time when the farmers’ agitation against electricity transmission lines and towers has spread to other regions of Gujarat. Farmers from Morbi district assert that they are “most severely affected” by this project.Farmers from Jetpar and about 35 surrounding villages have been protesting since June against the high-voltage electricity transmission lines passing through their agricultural land. The hunger strike in July had also been against this.The work of erecting towers for the high-tension electricity transmission lines is being carried out by Halvad Transmission Limited. This is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) company of Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL). AESL is one of the country’s largest private-sector power transmission and distribution enterprises.The farmers of Morbi are asking for higher compensation in exchange for the use of their agricultural land for the laying of high-voltage transmission lines.In July, the Gujarat government announced certain modifications in response to the farmers’ demands. The government proposed a revised compensation framework based on market value – instead of the previous minimum support price or jantri determined by the government – for calculating compensation. However, not all of the farmers’ demands were fulfilled, and the agitation continued.Complaint filed by a police officer; FIR registeredIt is noteworthy that the complaint on the protest held on September 17 was not filed by a political activist or ordinary citizen, but by Police Inspector Nileshbhai Savjibhai Ghetia of Morbi Taluka police station. The FIR was registered at the said police station on September 18, 2026, at 5:15 pm.According to the FIR, on the night of September 17, 2026, Ghetia was conducting a patrol on the Old RTO road. At approximately 10:56 om, he received a video on WhatsApp. According to him, the video showed a group of people gathered at a location, burning effigies of Modi and Shah, and shouting “anti-government” slogans.The FIR alleges that the agitation held in Jetpar village on September 17 was in opposition to Modi’s birthday celebrations.However, the protesting farmers state that their agitation was not directed against the prime minister’s birthday, but it was against the government’s alleged apathy towards compensation for the power lines.The FIR mentions that the majority of the accused are registered at addresses in Jetpar. Two are residents of Kumbariya village.Eight sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023, have been invoked in the FIR. They include Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 192 (provocation with the intent to cause a riot), and 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant).The FIR also alleges a violation of a public order/notification issued by the District Magistrate of Morbi on August 31. No further details regarding this order have been provided. The Wire Hindi has sent queries to the Superintendent of Police regarding this matter but no response was received till the time of publication of the original Hindi report.In addition, the FIR invokes BNS Section 285 (danger or obstruction in a public way), Section 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), and Section 352 (intentional insult and provocation to breach the peace).‘I wasn’t even at the protest’Among the individuals named in the FIR, farmer leader Hiren Chandubhai Aghara claimed in a conversation with The Wire Hindi that he did not participate in the effigy-burning incident that occurred on the night of September 17, and yet his name has been registered in the FIR. “I wasn’t even there. However, I will still maintain that protesting is a constitutional right for everyone,” he said.Nehul Amritiya, who is leading the farmers’ agitation, echoed this sentiment: “None of the 21 people named in the FIR were present at the spot, yet their names have been recorded. This FIR is completely baseless. The farmers of Gujarat will aptly respond to it. We shall pursue this legal battle all the way to the Supreme Court.”He further stated, “The police themselves are filing the FIR by assuming the role of complainant. This FIR has been registered under pressure from politicians. The burning of effigies of politicians has not occurred for the first time; such incidents have taken place in the past as well.”Karabhai Amritiya has also acknowledged facing considerable pressure. When asked whether he was receiving adequate support from his brother, MLA Kantibhai Amritiya, he said, “I do get support. I even brought him along to participate in the farmers’ movement. However, I believe that my brother’s voice is also not being heard. That is why I have stepped forward.”He added, “Everyone is under pressure. No one’s concerns are being heard. I myself am under a lot of pressure. Raids are being conducted to intensify this pressure. I have personally been subjected to five or six raids by the electricity department, GST authorities, and similar agencies.”‘Why not route the power line through the Rann of Kutch instead of agricultural land?’The protesting farmers assert that electricity poles have already been installed on both sides of their agricultural land and they are keen that what remains is preserved.Karabhai noted that as many as three power project poles were being installed on a single five-bigha agricultural plot. “Where are the farmers supposed to cultivate crops under these circumstances?” he asked.A farmer who requested not to be named spoke of the deep fears surrounding this move. “Business is transient; what exists today may vanish tomorrow. A large enterprise can take over the business of a small trader, and a small business may simply shut down at any time. But if agriculture remains, we can always earn a living from it. Furthermore, the installation of these electrical lines reduces the value of agricultural land.”Karabhai also illustrated this worry. “If our children secure jobs at the power project, how much can they earn—perhaps Rs 10,000 or Rs 15,000? What purpose does it serve? It isn’t even enough to run a household. The cost of cooking gas has skyrocketed. That is why we have no choice but to protest.”The unnamed farmer and Karabhai further stated that there exists a risk to life as well. “If a wire snaps from the pole and falls into the field, a farmer working in that area could die. Who would take responsibility for this? Why is insurance not being discussed? When such a massive power line is being installed, doesn’t the Adani company, that is laying the lines, bear some responsibility?” the farmer said.Farmer leader Hiren Chandubhai Aghara said that this is being undertaken to transmit electricity from the Khavda Renewable Energy Zone in Kutch district to Maharashtra. “We derive no benefit from this project. So we are advocating that the government set up the plant in Maharashtra itself. If the power lines must be routed, they should be directed through the Rann of Kutch region. Why is the government routing it through agricultural land?”He said that he was told by government officials that the terrain of the Rann is uneven and lacks proper levelling, and there is no one to maintain it. “In contrast, agricultural land is maintained by farmers themselves. This way, the power company would effectively get land maintenance services for free.”What are the farmers’ demands?Farmer leader Hiren Chandubhai Aghara has shared the draft of their demands with The Wire Hindi. In it, farmers have proposed a detailed alternative compensation scheme to the government regarding land utilisation for transmission lines and towers.In an application submitted on July 29, 2026, the Gujarat Kisan Chhavni, Jetpar (Macchu), has sought amendments to the Energy and Petrochemicals Department’s order dated July 4, 2026. The application proposes discrete and more comprehensive compensation for damages caused to land, crops, and trees.The farmers have proposed separate compensation structures for both tower base installations and the transmission lines’ right of way (RoW) corridors. For tower base sites, they have demanded compensation of up to 400% of the land’s market value. This proposal includes calculating the area based not only on the actual footprint enclosed by the tower’s four legs but also by adding a one-meter buffer zone around the perimeter.Meanwhile, a compensation proposal of up to 260% of the market value of land in rural and urban areas has been put forth for the RoW corridor.Farmers have demanded separate compensation for damages to crops and trees in addition to land valuation. A proposal has been put forth to establish a Market Rate Committee (MRC) in each district to determine land market values. They insist that compensation payments should be disbursed prior to the commencement of work.The proposal also seeks to include losses incurred after the installation of the transmission line within the scope of compensation. It stipulates that in the event of future crop damage, tree loss, or any other form of damage or accident, the transmission company should be held liable and should provide appropriate compensation to the affected individuals. Furthermore, the farmers have demanded that transmission companies arrange for accident and medical insurance coverage.Farmers have proposed that the routing of transmission lines should prioritise government-owned or common grazing lands (gauchar) while minimising the utilisation of private land as much as possible. The proposal suggests that the duration for land use associated with transmission lines should be at least 25 years. Upon the expiry of this period, the responsibility for removing the transmission line and its associated infrastructure shall rest with the operating company. The company should also be liable to compensate the farmer for any damage caused during the removal process. The document also demands that prior public notice be given to affected landowners, an opportunity be provided to register objections, and the compensation process be kept transparent.Thus, the farmers’ objections are not limited merely to the compensation amount. Impact of the farmers’ agitationAccording to Dilip Patel, a senior journalist based in Gujarat, the impact of the farmers’ agitation is now becoming evident on the ground. He points out that in the recently conducted Morbi Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) election, the nearly three-decade-long monopoly of the BJP-backed panel came to an end. In this election, the majority of members from the BJP-backed panel were defeated. According to Patel, in previous APMC elections, almost all members who won had hailed from the BJP-backed panel.As another indicator of the movement’s impact, Patel mentions the role played by the brothers of local BJP MLA and minister, Kantibhai Amritiya. According to him, the minister’s brothers stand in solidarity with the farmers and are present at nearly every public meeting.Patel notes that while Morbi has long been a BJP stronghold, signs of a shift in the stance of the party’s traditional supporters are emerging amidst the farmers’ agitation.The Gujarat Congress has expressed solidarity with the farmers as well. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi told The Wire Hindi, “The incident in Jetpar where farmers burned effigies of the prime minister and the Union home minister is far more than a mere symbolic protest; it is a serious indication of long-standing agrarian discontent and the erosion of trust in the government that has developed over a long period.”MLA and minister Kanthilal Amritia, along with state BJP spokesperson Anilbhai Patel, did not respond to questions regarding the farmers’ grievances. No response was received from Morbi Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Patel regarding questions related to the FIR. The report will be updated once a response is received.Translated from the Hindi original – which was first published in The Wire Hindi – by Naushin Rehman.