The opposition Congress attacked the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday after a ruling party MLA said that he was facing life threat and the police were not paying attention to his security.
MLA Umakant Sharma’s statement, made in his constituency Sironj in Vidisha district on Monday, went viral prompting Congress ex-minister Jaivardhan Singh to ask what could be the situation of common people if a BJP MLA was worried about his life under his own party's government.
As the matter escalated, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that no one in the state should feel threat to life and it was the government’s responsibility to ensure their safety. “He (Sharma) is a respected MLA and I have asked the superintendent of police of Vidisha (to provide security). He will be provided with local guards; he also has state government (provided) guards. He is our brother, he should rest assured,” Mishra said on Tuesday.
Umakant Sharma is the brother of ex-minister late Laxmikant Sharma who was a prominent BJP leader but found himself totally sidelined after he was named as accused in the infamous Vyapam scam and sent to jail. He died in May 2021 after being infected with COVID-19. After being detained by the police, the ex-minister had said that he knew the actual big players of the Vyapam scam, but he never disclosed their names.
Following a Panchayati Raj day programme in Pamakhedi of Sironj on Monday, Umakant Sharma had told media persons that he was facing life threat and the local police was not at all alert. “I have given written intimation (about the threat) to the Madhya Pradesh government, the SP, the collector, the principal secretary and other high ranking officers. Some former employees and officers against whom I got action initiated as per rule, some illegal builders and some political adversaries are trying to defame me. They are conspiring to finish me off. I have given this in writing to the government. But the local police from Lateri, Sironj, are not at all alert about this and I can be killed any time.”
On Tuesday, while attending a programme in Lateri of Sironj, Jaivardhan Singh said that the ruling party at the Centre and the state always tried to mislead the people saying that the nation and religion was under threat. “Neither the country, nor the religion is under threat. If someone is under threat, it is the BJP MLA. It is a matter of regret. Just imagine what kind of atmosphere has been created in the state where even a BJP MLA is feeling danger to his life. It is actually a very serious matter as a BJP MLA speaks of threat to life in a BJP government. What could be the situation of the common people then can be understood. I was to assure the MLA that when the Congress government is formed after six months, he will be provided adequate security, even if he becomes an ex-MLA by then.”