The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has recently demolished ten houses belonging to the Schedule Caste (SC) community in the Sagar district during an anti-encroachment drive, resulting in a political controversy. The protesters, including local people and the Opposition Congress, have accused Cabinet Minister Govind Singh Rajput, a loyalist of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, of being behind the demolitions. The demolished houses were built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) but were constructed on forest land.
The Congress Party has claimed that many BJP leaders have constructed bungalows on government land, but the state administration would not dare act against them. However, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is only targeting poor people, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has stated. Singh also questioned the anti-encroachment drive and asserted that the district administration should be held accountable. The senior Congress leader also claimed that the BJP minister was trying to make the anti-demolition drive a political issue.
Responding to these allegations, BJP Minister Govind Singh Rajput has stated that he has asked the Sagar district administration to allot plots to rebuild the demolished houses. However, the recent events have led to a significant political stir in the poll-bound state of Madhya Pradesh.
It is important to note that all of the houses were constructed on forest land, which is illegal and considered encroachment of government property. Nonetheless, the decision to demolish the houses has created uproar and accusations of political motives. The incident raises questions about the implementation of housing programs in the country and the role of forest land in the process. Regardless, the focus now is on how the state government and forest department will handle this controversy.
