Bhopal: A poster about Rs 30,000 bulbs and Rs 33,000-a-litre phenyl turned a BJP rally on “saving democracy” into a fight over corruption and the right to ask questions.
Social activist Prahlad Pandey went to the BJP’s ‘Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao’ rally in Indore with his wife. He carried a poster questioning alleged high prices in purchases by urban local bodies in Madhya Pradesh. The poster said bulbs were bought for Rs 30,000 each and phenyl for Rs 33,000 a litre. His wife also carried a bottle of phenyl for visual effect.
Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya was speaking at the rally. He got angry after seeing the poster and asked police to remove Pandey. In a video shared online, Vijayvargiya called Pandey a “nuisance” and said that if people had to answer his questions, they would do so elsewhere. He also warned that people could give him an answer “for free”.
The minister reportedly used bad language against Pandey before asking police to take him away. Police then detained Pandey and his wife. Pandey kept asking the police what crime he had committed.
Later, Pandey said he was only asking about suspected corruption in purchases made by civic bodies. “Democracy survives when people ask questions, and those in power should answer them,” he said.
Bigger Probe Into Purchases
The protest comes when alleged financial irregularities in municipal purchases in Madhya Pradesh are being examined. A recent departmental presentation reportedly pointed to unusually high prices for LED bulbs, phenyl and other items bought by civic bodies.
Officials said 392 municipal employees, including 135 Chief Municipal Officers, are under investigation or scrutiny. Seven officials have reportedly been dismissed.
The incident has raised questions about whether people can question leaders without facing police action, especially at a rally held in the name of democracy. Congress said the BJP “gets rattled by questions” and accused the minister of handing a peaceful protester to the police. The party said the BJP talks about democracy but cannot accept questions about alleged irregularities in civic bodies.
Couple’s Previous Run-In With Minister
This was not the first time Pandey and his wife protested against Vijayvargiya. In July, they were detained after sitting near the minister’s Nanda Nagar home in Indore with a copy of the Constitution. They were protesting remarks Vijayvargiya allegedly made about students protesting in Delhi over the NEET-UG exam, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Police booked the couple under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for protesting without permission, and a court sent them to jail. Pandey’s wife later got bail, but he remained in jail. Vijayvargiya then wrote to Police Commissioner Santosh Singh, asking that the couple be considered for release on humanitarian grounds if the law allowed it.
