A video of Bhopal Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Monika Shukla standing in front of a moving bus during a farmers’ protest has gone viral, earning her widespread praise and the nickname “Lady Singham.”
The incident occurred as protesting farmers attempted to push school buses that had been placed on the road as additional barricades to prevent demonstrators from marching toward the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s residence.
Speaking to NDTV, ACP Shukla said she acted instinctively after seeing protesters pushing one of the buses.
“My duty was to stop the protesters from entering the city. When I saw the bus moving, I stood in front of it. I did what I had to do and wasn’t scared,” she said.
According to Shukla, police had used school buses to reinforce barricades, but protesters tried to move them aside. After she stepped in front of the bus, the protesters backed away.
The officer downplayed the attention surrounding the incident, describing her actions as part of her responsibility and saying her experience in handling law-and-order situations helped her respond quickly.
Shukla also emphasized that police should exercise restraint during protests, noting that demonstrators are citizens exercising their democratic rights rather than criminals.
“Protesters are not criminals. They are citizens raising their demands. We need to deal with such situations with restraint,” she said, while adding that authorities must remain alert to the possibility of anti-social elements infiltrating demonstrations.
She said there was no clear leadership among the protesters at the time, and her priority was to prevent any breach of law and order in the city.
Commenting on recent student protests in Delhi, Shukla said people have the right to express their views in a democracy, provided demonstrations remain peaceful, lawful, and do not disrupt the lives of others.
