Amid rift buzz, Shivraj Chouhan meets CM Mohan Yadav with delegation of tribals on demolition drive

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav with a delegation, days after he criticised the State Government over the demolition of houses of 12 tribal families in Kosmi village under his stronghold Budhni assembly constituency. State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Hemant Khandelwal also attended the late-night meeting at the CM residence in Bhopal. 

The meeting comes amid a controversy that erupted after Mr. Chouhan, on Sunday night, made an angry statement against the demolition of houses and the destruction of crops of tribals, despite having spoken to Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal and Mr. Khandelwal to halt the Forest Department’s action earlier that day. The remarks had set the buzz of a rift between Mr. Chouhan, who was the CM for nearly 17 years, and his successor Mr. Yadav. 

Mr. Chouhan had then said that he would meet Mr. Yadav about the issue. 

As per an official at the Chief Minister’s Office, the delegation included Mr. Khandelwal, current Budhni MLA Ramakant Bhargava, local functionaries and members of the affected families. 

Meanwhile, the affected families who have been staging a protest in Kosmi village since the demolition exercise said earlier on Thursday that they were going to carry out a march to Bhopal with their concerns. 

Mr. Chouhan represented Budhni for nearly 20 years, including during his tenure as the CM, and the constituency also falls under the Vidisha Lok Sabha segment that he currently holds. 

“The delegation apprised Mr. Yadav of the recent incident in Kosmi village in Sehore district and told him about the action taken against members of the tribal community. It also submitted a memorandum outlining its demands,” a State Government statement said. 

As per the statement, Mr. Yadav has assured the delegation that an investigation was being carried out into the matter “with utmost seriousness”.

“The Chief Minister said that justice would be ensured for all and that a practical solution would be worked out through mutual dialogue,” it read. 

While slamming the action against tribals, Mr. Chouhan had said that they had been BJP voters for a long time and that Mr. Yadav had “become the Chief Minister because of their votes”. The Union Minister had termed the demolition exercise, allegedly carried out due to encroachment on forest land, as “height of injustice and oppression”.

The remarks only added to the already fuelling speculations in the State’s political corridors of a power tussle within the Madhya Pradesh BJP with reports claiming that various senior State Cabinet Ministers had been disgruntled with Mr. Yadav.