Bhopal, November 18 (Pervez Bari): A political hurricane hitting the ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), in Madhya Pradesh has been averted when a
non-bailable warrant, (NBW), issued by the First Class Judicial Magistrate
(FCJM) on Thursday against the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan was stayed by a session court.
The NBW which was also issued against the Leader of the Opposition
in the Lok Sabha BJP’s Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and two others in connection with
the dihonouring of the National Tri-colour has been stayed from execution by
the Sehore District Additional Sessions Court. However, The Additional
Sessions Judge Vijay Malviya stayed the NBWs issued by FCJM Jaffer Iqbal and
set December 1 as the next date for hearing after hearing a plea by Defence
Counsel BL Jat.
Earlier in the day a local court of Judicial Magistrate First Class
in Nasrullahganj, a small town and a Nagar Panchayat in Sehore district,
directed issuance of a non-bailable warrants against the Opposition Leader
in the Lok Sabha Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan and two others in connection with insulting the National Flag.
While hearing a complaint — filed by local resident Dwarka Jat on May 6,
2010 — Judicial Magistrate Jaffer Iqbal’s Court directed registering of case
against the two BJP leaders, besides the then collector Sandip Yadav and
district BJP president Raghunath Bhati under the Prevention of Insults to
National Honour Act, 1971 and directed them to appear before the court.
The complaint stated that Chouhan organised a felicitation programme
for Mrs. Swaraj at Nasrullahganj on March 31, 2010. During the programme, a
rally was taken out wherein a girl — dressed as Bharat Mata — was allegedly
bearing a Tricolour upside down. Jat said he went to Nasrullahganj Police
Station to have a First Information Report registration but police refused
to do so, he moved the court.
Meanwhile, in the state capital Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Congress
Committee, (MPCC), president Kantilal Bhuria and MPCC Media Department
Chairman Manak Agarwal have demanded that the two BJP leaders should resign.
Mrs. Swaraj and Chouhan should tender resignation following the footsteps of
former chief minister Uma Bharti — who resigned after a non-bailable warrant
was issued against her by a court in Karnataka, they said.
It may be recalled that in the November-December 2003 Assembly
polls, Ms Uma Bharti led the BJP to a three fourths majority in Madhya
Pradesh. However, she had to resign from the post of Chief Minister in
August 2004, when an arrest warrant was issued against her regarding the
1994 Hubli riot case. She remained Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from
December 8, 2003 to August 22, 2004 She was succeeded by Babulal Gaur.
Meanwhile, as the state BJP President, Shivraj Singh Chouhan was
chosen to become the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on November 30, 2005.
He replaced Babulal Gaur as the chief minister. He contested a bye-election
from Budhni assembly constituency the following year, winning his old seat
by a margin of over 36,000 votes. In 2008, Shivraj Singh Chouhan retained
the Budhni seat by over 41,000 votes, and with it, led the BJP to a second
consecutive victory in the state. On December 12, 2008, he was sworn in for
his second term.
Chouhan served as General Secretary of the BJP and State President,
Madhya Pradesh BJP. He joined the RSS in 1972. He has been a five-time
Member of Parliament, representing Vidisha in the Lok Sabha since 1991. At
present, he represents Budhni, a tehsil place in Sehore District of Madhya
Pradesh in the state assembly.(pervezbari@eth.net)