Demolition of houses of several tribal families in Madhya Pradesh’s Budhni has prompted Union Agriculture Minister and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to push back against the State’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and say that “the limits of oppression and injustice have been crossed” in his constituency and that his successor Mohan Yadav had become the CM “with their very votes”.
Mr. Yadav said on Monday (October 12, 2026) that the matter had come to his attention and that an inquiry will be conducted into it.
In a visibly angry address late on Sunday (October 11, 2026), Mr. Chouhan said, “My constituency has witnessed the height of oppression and the extreme limit of injustice. Homes that were thriving until this morning—where the joyful sounds of children once echoed—are now filled with their screams. Women are weeping and beating their chests in anguish. Their homes have been demolished and their crops buried under the rubble. The fruits of their hard labour are crushed, and their wells are filled in. These were homes that had stood for years, yet today, these people have been left destitute and displaced.”
Mr Chouhan, who visited the spot in Sehore district’s Kosmi and met affected families on Sunday night (October 11, 2026), said that after speaking with State Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal and M.P. BJP president Hemant Khandelwal to inform them of the matter, he would also raise it with CM Yadav. He also sought strict action against the officials responsible for the action.
On Sunday (October 11, 2026), houses of about 12 tribal families in Kosmi village were demolished by the Forest Department over alleged encroachment. The department says the houses were built on forest land after a 2021 plantation was destroyed.
The village falls under the Budhni Assembly seat, which he represented for nearly two decades. Budhni also falls under the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency, which Mr. Chouhan currently holds for the BJP.
After meeting the families, Mr. Chouhan said, “The Chief Minister needs to be apprised of this injustice. I will convey everything to him. This appears to be a conspiracy to tarnish the Chief Minister’s reputation as well. These are the very people who consistently vote for the BJP; they voted for us in both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. This is a plot by certain officials to tarnish the party’s image. It is their votes that secure our victories, and it was their votes that made Mohan ji the Chief Minister. This is truly deeply distressing for me.”
“I had requested that, since they have held possession of this land for years, they should not be harassed,” he said, expressing anger that no senior official from the Forest Department or the local administration was present during his visit.
A close aide of Mr. Chouhan told The Hindu that the former CM had spoken to Mr. Yadav about this matter on Sunday morning (October 11, 2026), requesting him to halt the drive, as the Forest officials had earlier served eviction notices to the families.
“The CM had assured him [Mr. Chouhan] that the action would be stopped. But it seems the drive went on anyway without the CM’s knowledge,” the aide said, requesting anonymity.
“The houses were in the interior and were not obstructing any development work. The families also have receipts and records showing that they have been living there since before 1989,” he said, denying the forest department’s claims.
The question was put to Mr. Yadav during a press conference on Monday (October 12, 2026), to which he responded, saying, “The matter has come to my attention, so I have said that we will get it inquired. If a senior leader of our party has said something, we will look into it.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has taken the incident to attack the ruling party and has alleged that the incident was a result of the BJP’s “internal power tussle”.
Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Umang Singhar, took to X and said, “Mohan Yadav ji, when your own former Chief Minister is raising questions, you too must clarify when the government will take concrete steps. Is the internal power struggle within the government overshadowing even questions of public interest?”
“Shivraj ji, merely raising questions about the injustice done to tribal families is not enough; it is also essential to establish accountability. The public deserves a clear explanation: on whose orders were the homes of poor families demolished? Who is behind this action, and whose protection do the responsible officials enjoy?” Mr. Singhar asked.
Mr. Chouhan, who helmed the State for nearly 17 years, has on several occasions publicly countered his successor in the past three years.
In July 2026, Mr. Chouhan issued a public letter to Mr. Yadav to counter his government’s claims on moong pulse procurement, in the midst of a farmers’ protest in the State capital, Bhopal, with demonstrators laying siege near the Chief Minister’s residence.