The agitation took place in both Bhopal and Katni on January 16 and the highlight was the march organized by the Congress led National Students Union of India to gherao the CM’s residence demanding immediate cancellation of the transfer order on Tiwari. Barricades were put by the police and there were clashes between the marchers and the police. The demonstrators were also demanding the ouster by the Chief Minister of the minister Sanjay Pathak for his involved in Rs. 500 crore hawala scam.

Tiwari was investigating the hawala scam and the transfer of money, allegedly, to a large number of accounts with Axis Bank, Katni Branch. Speaking to media, state Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra said, 'The police chased and beat up our NSUI workers. Not just stopping us on the streets, but for the first time police forced their way into state Congress office and assaulted our workers. The state unit president was rushed to JP Hospital from where he and the other two NSUI leaders have been shifted to Chirayu Hospital.'

The agitation started around 1 pm when a large gathering of NSUI activists collected in front of the state PCC office. Arun Yadav, Amrita Dhawan, state Mahila Congress chief Mandvi Chouhan, former MP Sajjan Singh Verma were present on the dais.

The leaders addressed the crowd and thereafter, started marching towards CM House. Shouting anti-BJP slogans, they had only walked to the next crossing when police barricaded the road. NSUI tried breaking down the barricade and police resisted by first opening water-canons. It was at this point that some agitators started throwing brickbats at the police. There was shoving, pushing, altercation with police personnel and even exchange of fisticuffs. Bhopal SP Rajesh Chandel told media that the force resorted to lathicharge to 'bring the situation under control'.

Arun Yadav and Vipin Wankhede sustained injuries on their heads and limbs, the Congress claimed. 'This shows the dual face of the BJP,' said national Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza. 'On the one hand, the prime minister claims demonetisation is a crusade against black money, and on the other, when ill-gotten hawala wealth has been revealed, no action is taken against a sitting minister in the BJP government,' she alleged. National NSUI chief Amrita Dhawan said the agitation against Sanjay Pathak and the removal of SP Gaurav Tiwari will now go to New Delhi. 'Next we will protest at Jantar Mantar and demand the ouster of the minister from the BJP government here,' she said.

According to reports from Katni local residents in Katni staged a rail roko agitation protesting the transfer of superintendent of police Gaurav Tiwari. On Friday, they had given the state administration an ultimatum of three days to revoke Tiwari's transfer or face a 'rail roko andolan' in the city.

In light of that threat, a big police force was deployed at the railway station premises, Dilbahar Square, Subhas Square, autorickshaw stands and other key places in the city. The road connecting Subhash Square to Vishwakarma Gate was closed by the police.. However, despite the police presence, the protestors managed to stop a passenger train for about 15 minutes at Murwara station in the city.

Congress leaders MLA Jitu Patwari, senior leader Sunderlal Tiwari and local MLA Saurabh Singh also joined the protests early Monday. They started out their protest rally from the residence of local MLA Saurabh Singh, clashed with the police and managed to move ahead after breaking down barricades.

SP Katni Shashikant Shukla said, 'A total of 124 protestors were arrested, but no violence was reported from any part of the city. Traffic of the city remained disturbed due to the crowd as both the rallies were taken out on the same day'.

On January 9 the state government had transferred Katni district superintendent of police (SP) Gaurav Tiwari to Chhindwara. The 2010 batch IPS officer was investigating some influential leaders in the ruling BJP for their alleged links in a Rs 500-crore hawala racket.

In a significant development, Ajay Bishnoi a senior BJP leader and former minister have asked Sanjay Pathak to resign from the ministry. While talking to Jabalpur media, Bishnoi said he was surprised that different yardstick was being applied to Pathak. He has recalled that when he was minister, Income Tax department raided the residence of my brother. Though the incident had no direct relationship with me but I chose to resign and was back in the cabinet after my brother got clean chit from the Income Tax department. He said that I resigned because I was keen that party and government should not get any stigma. Why Sanjay Pathak is not adopting the same course. He then asked whether there was a difference in party's approach at that time and now. He then added that perhaps it is due to the fact that we were old loyal workers of the party and Pathak is a new comer. Pathak joined the BJP after defecting from the Congress on whose ticket he was elected to Vidhan Sabha. (IPA Service)