Congress fumes over MoS status to five babas in MP

Mangalore Today News Network

Madhya Pradesh, Apr 04, 2018 : The Congress said on Wednesday the decision of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh to accord minister of state (MoS) status to five Hindu religious leaders was just a ploy to placate different sections of society ahead of the assembly elections this year.

 

“The government is mixing religion with politics with an eye on assembly elections later this year. The MoS rank is nothing but the government’s lure to those who speak against it. Congress has always been opposed to mixing religion with politics,” KK Mishra, state Congress’ chief spokesperson, said.

The state government on Tuesday accorded minister of state status to Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant. They were given the status after they were appointed to a committee set up for the conservation of the Narmada river on March 31.

Two of the religious leaders cancelled their proposed campaign against alleged corruption in planting saplings along the banks of the Narmada during chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Narmada Seva Yatra programme.

More than 60 million saplings were planted along the Narmada’s banks in July last year as a part of the state government’s steps to preserve the river.

Computer Baba and Pt Yogendra Mahant, who were supposed to lead the Narmada Ghotala Rathyatra, said the government is doing a lot to preserve the Narmada and they would work in tandem with the government in that direction.

The Narmada Ghotala Rathyatra, from May 1 to May 15 to be headed by Computer Baba, was announced during a meeting of the Sant Samaj held in Indore on March 28.

“I wish to thank chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for reposing his faith in us. We are sadhus and don’t need any status but a warrior needs certain resources to fight in a war. Hence, the facilities as a MoS will help us,” Computer Baba said.

He was replying to a question why did he accept the government facilities meant for a MoS despite being a saint.

Computer Baba, known for his electronic gadgets, also said that Chouhan had taken a number of steps to check illegal mining such as a ban on the use of heavy machines in sand mining, panchayats being empowered to grant the lease of sand mining.

Pt Yogendra Mahant, who was supposed to organise the Narmada Ghotala Rathyatra, said the decreasing water level of the Narmada was “a matter of concern”.

Mahant, the national president of a Vishwa Brahmin Samaj, said that was why Chouhan constituted the high-level committee to deliberate and give suggestions to the government to revive the water flow.

The spokesperson of the BJP’s state unit, Rajneesh Agrawal, dismissed the Congress’ allegation by saying that the opposition party has always been opposed to the saffron colour.

Agrawal said the state government’s move to associate seers with environment-related issues was praiseworthy as they would help create awareness among people on issues of rivers, pollution and other aspects in an effective manner.

courtesy:HT