Minal Residency targeted, Raj builders' mall demolished in Bhopal

In the biggest anti-encroachment action in Bhopal, the Raj builders' Minal mall was blown up using dynamite.

Hundreds of shops turned into debris within seconds in what seemed more like a targeted action driven by vengeance. The action in Minal Residency was unprecedented.

The question most asked was what was the fault of those who bought the land and shops. The administration hadn't objected when they got it registered and obtained other permissions.

If it was illegal construction, why this huge structure was allowed to come up. Raj Homes is owned by builder-turn-newspaper baron Arun Sahlot.

But if some bureaucrats or sections within the government (and ruling party) were cross with him, the ordinary  citizens who had bought the shops shouldn't have been made pawns in this game. Sahlot's paper was publishing stories and reports that attacked certain ministers and bureaucrats.

No doubt, the paper was irresponsible at times. The issue of an IAS officer, Anurag Jain, whose involvement in the proposed medical college of a Jain trust, had been taken up by the paper as a personal agenda. Some ministers' corrupt practices were also targeted.

But does that justify this action? There is no dearth of illegal encroachment in Bhopal. Raj group has said that it will compensate all the victims. But we will have to see if the promise materialises. The action must have got the nod from the top in the BJP.

One just wished that all other encroachments, be it by political bigwigs or other local strongmen are also removed and razed. Selective action sends a wrong message. Already hundreds of families have suffered hugely, as they had used their lifelong savings to buy a shop but in one go, it all went into air.

BJP plans to change Bhopal's name to Bhojpal!

Will Bhopal become Bhojpal?

Will the State government give assent to the moves afoot by local BJP leaders to rename Bhopal in the memory of Raja Bhoj and change the name of the City to Bhojpal?

Local  BJP MLA Vishwas Sarang is most vocal and is pressing for it. Some other BJP leaders are also pushing for the name change.

Already there is controversy as the statue of Raja Bhoj has been installed in Bhopal. Interestingly, it is erected on the 'burj' that was constructed by during the reign of Dost Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Bhopal dynasty.

Raja Bhoj is said to have ruled this part of Madhya Pradesh nearly 1,000 years ago. The Bhojpur temple near Bhopal is said to be constructed during his rule. With other political parties and local residents flaying the initiative, the controversy is heating up.

Citizens aren't much excited about the proposed change of name, as the word  Bhojpal was not used locally though locals in Madras called their City 'Chennai' and so was the case in Calcutta, Bombay and Bangalore which were known by their present names in local language.

Raja Bhoj's statue installed in Bhopal's Upper Lake

The statue of Raja Bhoj has finally been brought to Bhopal. It has been installed on the part of the Burj of Bhopal Fort that was established by Nawab Dost Mohammad Khan.

The statue would be formally unveiled in February. Bhoj is said to have ruled the region 1,000 years ago. It is also believed that on his name the place was named Bhojpal which later became Bhopal.

In medieval era, the Afghan dynasty ruled Bhopal. For over two centuries, Muslim Nawabs and Begums sat on the throne of the princely state until the state was merged in Indian Union.

Raja Bhoj is also credited for the creation of the biggest man-made water body, the Bada Talab or Upper Lake in Bhopal. The BJP workers had earlier demanded that the Habibganj railway station be named after Raja Bhoj.

But the demand was not met with. However, the installation of Bhoj's statue that had been promised earlier has now been completed. Mayor and senior officers will formally unveil the statue on February 28.

Farmers 'invade' Bhopal, capital on a standstill

Thousands of farmers kept the capital of Madhya Pradesh at ransom as they blocked almost all the major roads, bringing the City to a grinding halt.

The farmers who came in over 5,000 tractor-trolleys parked their vehicles in the midst of roads and refused to leave. They were angry with the BJP government for refusing to pay attention to their plight. The administration was absolutely unprepared and hadn't anticipated the traffic jams.

Never before in the history, Bhopal had witnessed such massive jam. On December 20, the farmers under the banner of RSS affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh reached Bhopal to meet Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

True to their threat, the farmers brought Bhopal to a halt. Children were stuck in schools, office-goers couldn't reach to their workplaces and vehicle riders were caught in jams for hours. On the second day, the farmers continued their stir, saying that the state government was not sensitive.

Farmers say that the crop was not fetching adequate money and they were not getting electricity in villages which hurt agriculture. The major intelligence failure exposes the police department's lack of preparedness also.

Adarsh Katiyar posted as SSP Bhopal

DIG Ratlam Adarsh Katiyar has been given the posting of Bhopal SSP. His predecessor Jaideep Prasad has been sent to PHQ.

The state government was unhappy with the growing crime in Bhopal. So Prasad was replaced and a senior officer appointed at the newly created post of SSP. Katiyar will take charge in two days.

He will have two more SPs to aid him. One expects that the crime would be controlled in Bhopal due to the reshuffle. The Home department has shifted 25 senior police officers.

Some IG rank officers have been shifted. The rest are SPs. It is felt that if the system works here, SSP could be posted in Jabalpur also which is the other major city after Indore and Bhopal.

Ramdev cult grows in Madhya Pradesh

Baba Ramdev has become a favourite with the BJP government. Official machinery was at yoga guru's beck and call during his stay in Bhopal.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the top brass of BJP attended his yoga sessions religiously and even the Congress leaders despite their initial protest, could not stop themselves from showing their faces at the Baba's programmes.

The cult is growing. If he says Lauki is good, the Lauki disappears from market as everybody goes to buy it. Madness has swept this state and Ramdeo is panacea for all ills. BJP feels that it can exploit the Swadeshi saint.

But the Baba doesn't want any tag. He has the whole world to conquer. He categorically denied that it was a BJP function and repeatedly said that he respected and welcomed Congress men equally.

But former CM Babulal Gaur reached the yoga session in his RSS uniform--khaki shorts--and the discomfiture of Baba was evident. Baba needs land, he needs to open institutes, compete with Sri Sri and all others the world over.

party warty apni jagah, aakhir, Baba ko to apni dukaan chalaani hai!

Riots in Madhya Pradesh: A distinct pattern in state

A sudden wave of riots hit Madhya Pradesh recently. First, communal violence raised its head in Jabalpur followed by communal clash in Indore and subsequent communal tension in Biaora (Rajgarh) and Guna.

The state was peaceful for quite sometime and the communal bug has suddenly bit Madhya Pradesh. Observers are suspicious that this pattern of riots could be a calculated handiwork for vested interests. In Jabalpur, the posters of Jain community's Gajrath Festival were allegedly torn up, that caused tension.

In Indore, the Muharram procession was stoned at. And similar rumour about posters was circulated. In the ultra-sensitive Rajgarh district, the Biaora town witnessed riot when people returning from tazia procession were charged of damaging posters of Hindu Sammelan. In Guna, stones were pelted at the Muharram procession.

From the Western district and commercial capital Indore to Jabalpur in the East the communal violence was witnessed in just a week. Clearly, mischievous elements are out to disrupt the communal harmony in Madhya Pradesh.

From Vande Mataram to Surya Namaskar

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government can't remain away from controversy for long. First, it forced everybody and sing Vande Mataram and even expected Muslim madarsa students to do the same.

It caused a major controversy. Now a similar controversy over Surya Namaskar. The High Court had to say that nobody can be forced to perform the Surya Namaskar. Can't the state government leave the government school kids alone.

After all schools run by Christian missionaries don't pay heed to government and the poor children who sit on the 'taat-patti' and are denied proper education, are expected to come to all government functions to fill the vacant grounds, stadiums and make rallies successful.