Jaipur, Dec. 11 -- Tension gripped Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district after a massive farmers' protest against a proposed ethanol factory spiralled into violence on December 10. At least ten vehicles, including a JCB machine, were set ablaze as hundreds of farmers marching in Tibbi town confronted police personnel deployed with barricades. The unrest left multiple people injured, including Congress MLA Abhimanyu Poonia, and led to the detention of seven protestors.

The agitation stems from long-standing opposition to the establishment of the ethanol plant at Rathi Kheda village in the Tibbi area. Local farmers and villagers have been protesting for almost 15 months, fearing that the factory will damage the region's environment, degrade fer...