Madhya Pradesh

On Tuesday, BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra threatened to take legal action against the makers of 'Adipurush', alleging that the film is an insult to Hindu religion. A statement in this regard was issued by Mishra, who is also the spokesperson of the Madhya Pradesh government. Talking to mediapersons, Mishra said the film 'Adipurush' has depicted Hindu religious figures in a 'wrong way'.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress seems to have united to support Digvijaya Singh. More importantly, hours after Digvijaya Singh took the nomination form from the party headquarters in New Delhi and announced that he would file his nomination for the AICC president's election, state Congress head and ex-chief minister Kamal Nath called a meeting of Congress leaders at his residence in Bhopal and asked them to reach Delhi to back Digvijaya Singh.

To this end, the state government has instructed the Garba dance organisers to allow the entry of visitors only after checking their identity cards. A directive in this regard was issued by Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday. "Navratri, the festival of worship of Maa Durga, is the centre of our faith. In a bid to maintain peace and harmony on such a holy occasion, the organisers have been instructed to allow entry in the Garba events only after checking the ID cards," Mishra told reporters on Tuesday

As part of the campaigning, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a road show besides addressing rallies to woo the voters. While addressing a poll gathering in Damuha town in Chhindwara on Thursday, Shivaraj urged people of the area to support BJP supported candidates contesting for councillors post in urban polls.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi said, "Cheetahs had become extinct from the country in 1952, but for decades, no meaningful effort was made to rehabilitate them. Today, as we celebrate 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the country has started rehabilitating cheetahs with a new energy."

Mishra made the controversial remark while reacting to Shabana Azami's comment questioning the release of 11 persons convicted for the gang-rape of Bilkis Bano during the Gujarat riots in 2002. Talking to mediapersons here, Mishra said these people don't utter even a single word when crimes are committed in a non-BJP state. "Why these people were silent when a minor girl was killed in Jharkhand, why did not they say a single word on the Udaipur murder? Because they see crime in only in BJP-ruled states. These people are agents and sleeper cell of Tukde-Tukde gang," Mishra said.

Results for 11 of the 16 Municipal Corporations were announced late on Sunday.  BJP has won the post of mayor in five municipal corporations - Bhopal, Indore, Burhanpur, Satna, Khandwa, Sagar and Ujjain, while the Congress registered wins in three - Gwalior and Jabalpur and Chhindwara. 

The decision came a day after the Supreme Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct local body (gram, nagar and zila panchayat) elections without OBC reservation. "I was scheduled to travel abroad from May 14 to attract investment in Madhya Pradesh, but at this time it is my priority to present my case again in the court and protect the interests of the backward classes.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal wrote to Kamal Nath on Thursday, saying, "This is to inform you that the Congress President has accepted your resignation from the post of Leader, Congress Legislature Party, Madhya Pradesh, with immediate effect. The party wholeheartedly appreciates your contribution as the CLP Leader, Madhya Pradesh."

Endorsing the move to demolish properties of those accused of violence and heinous crimes, the party's in-charge for Madhya Pradesh, P. Murlidhar Rao, said on Thursday that Chouhan took action depending on the ground situation. "Depending on the situation on the ground, Chief Minister Chouhan took the action. Wherever a bulldozer is required, he (Chouhan) is using it," Rao said.