High drama in Barmer as MLA douses himself in petrol during protest

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, a major drama took place outside the District Collectorate of Barmer District of Rajasthan when Sheo MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati allegedly poured petrol on himself during a protest regarding his demand for employment in a mining project. Mr. Bhati’s supporters and police personnel restrained him and prevented any mishap.

While Mr. Bhati was taken to the Collectorate to meet senior officers to resolve the issue, the building was put under heavy police deployment. Local youth, workers and villagers had reached the Collector’s office as part of the ongoing agitation at the Rajasthan State Mines and Mineral Limited (RSMML) lignite mines in Giral district.

Local workers in the mines have been staging a sit-in for nearly 40 days, demanding resolution of the numerous outstanding complaints regarding employment, wages and working conditions. Mr Bhati, Independent MLA from Sheo, joined the protesters in solidarity and sat with them at the demonstration.

Protesters claimed that local youth were not given priority in employment and that workers were exploited. Their main demands included reinstatement of laid-off workers, implementation of eight-hour shifts, payment of bonuses and provision of basic facilities to workers.

The demonstrators were also agitated because there was no response from the mining company and no official from the district administration came and received a memorandum. After Mr. Bhati and his supporters arrived outside the Collectorate in a large convoy of vehicles, they engaged in heated arguments with police officials at the barricades.

During a verbal duel with police personnel, Mr Bhati allegedly suddenly poured petrol from a bottle on himself, causing panic in the area. Security personnel restrained him from moving further while his supporters who were at the scene ran and wiped up the gasoline with a rag.

Mr Bhati had earlier told journalists at the scene that workers’ demands should be listened to “seriously and sensitively”. “Despite more than a month of peaceful protest in this heat, the administration has not taken any steps to redress their grievances… This is a complete failure of accountability,” he said.

Operated by RSMML, Giral Lignite Mines are a group of large open-pit lignite mines located near Thumbli and Giral villages, 43 km from Barmer in the Sheo Assembly constituency. Giral mines are an important source of brown coal in the Thar district of Western Rajasthan.