Monika Shukla, a woman police officer dubbed Bhopal's 'Lady Singham', has gone viral after a video showed her fearlessly standing in front of a bus being pushed by protesting farmers, preventing them from breaching police barricades during a march towards the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister's residence.
The officer, identified as Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Crime), has earned widespread praise online. The incident took place on Wednesday when protesting farmers attempted to push a bus while marching towards the Chief Minister's residence to press for their demands.
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In the viral video, Shukla is seen stepping in front of one of the school buses as protesters tried to push it forward. The police had parked the buses as an additional layer of barricading to prevent demonstrators from entering the city. On seeing the officer standing in front of the vehicle, the protesters backed away and abandoned their attempt to move the bus.
Speaking to NDTV about her now-viral act, Shukla said it was her duty to stop the protesters from entering the city and that she was simply doing her job by preventing them from pushing the bus.
"I was just doing my duty," she said. "Seeing the bus being pushed forward, I acted on instinct and stood in front of it because I had to stop the protesters."
Bhopal ACP Monika Shukla, popularly known as the city's “Lady Singham,” has gone viral after standing in front of a bus surrounded by protesting farmers. The dramatic moment unfolded as farmers attempted to push the bus off the road while marching towards the Madhya Pradesh Chief… pic.twitter.com/NG7UQsoR65
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 30, 2026
Protestors Are Not Criminals
Shukla insisted that her act was "nothing extraordinary". Drawing on her years of experience in uniform managing law and order, she said she knew how to respond to the situation.
"I decided on the spot to stand in front of the bus to stop the protesters from moving it. I didn't feel scared. I did what I had to," Shukla told NDTV.
She maintained that protesters are not criminals and said police must exercise restraint while handling demonstrations.
"We need to work with restraint. Protesters are not criminals. They are also citizens raising their demands," she said.
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However, she added that there is always the possibility of anti-social elements infiltrating protests to create trouble.
"There was no leader of the farm protesters at that point, and a large number of people were trying to enter the state capital. My responsibility was to ensure that nothing untoward happened in the city. My only concern was to maintain law and order," she said.
Referring to the recent student protests in Delhi, Shukla said everyone has the right to express their views in a democracy, but "it should be done in a peaceful manner, within the ambit of the law and without disrupting the lives of common people."
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