Earlier this week, on the occasion of Ram Navami, one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals, violence broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone as hoodlums and pyromaniacs resorted to pelting stones and burning down public properties, vehicles to oppose the Hindu procession going through their neighbourhood.
On April 10, a Ram Navami procession that began in the Talab Chowk area of Khargone had to be abandoned midway after it came under a volley of stones. Several vehicles were set on fire.
Not only did the ruckus cause severe disruption, but the violence witnessed during it also rendered scores of people injured, many of them grievously wounded by the ferocious volley of stones hurled at them. The Islamists could not brook the sight of ‘Kaafirs’ prancing around in their neighbourhood celebrating the birth anniversary of their most revered God and took to attacking the procession with stones, sticks and other weapons.
The cops resorted to firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. During the orgy of violence, a total of 24 people were injured, including six police personnel. Even the Superintendent of Police (Khargone) had sustained bullet injuries. Keeping in mind the volatile law and order situation, a curfew was imposed in the area.
It was not the first time a Hindu procession was disrupted and subjected to violence while passing through an area that apologists have characterised as ‘Muslim areas’. This menace has been prevalent for decades. For years now, Hindu processions have been constantly attacked and disrupted by Islamist bigots who feel insecure at the sight of Hindu processions traversing through ‘their areas’.
The government response, which is always contingent upon their political implications, hardly betrayed a semblance of delivering justice. Instead, the state remained busy defusing the situation rather than bringing perpetrators to book and setting a precedent for the future. The government’s inaction emboldened the hooligans, who felt encouraged to continue their patently illegal and criminal behaviour. As s consequence, such disruptions and violence became a common occurrence, with Hindu processions routinely attacked on the pretext that they were “provocative” in nature.
However, this was not to be the case in Khargone this year. On April 11, a day after Islamists attacked Ram Navami celebrations, the Khargone administration took strict action against the miscreants involved in pelting stones at the procession.
The illegally constructed buildings were bulldozed by the administration. Five JCB machines were deployed for the task. Multiple videos emerged on social media in which JCB machines were seen razing down houses and commercial establishments of those involved in stone-pelting.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had ordered the demolition of illegal buildings of those involved in the stone-throwing. The administration used Bulldozers to raze about 45 houses and shops. Around 16 houses and 29 shops were demolished on Monday.
But the disciplinary action against stone-pelters turned the spotlight on another leader, who did not mince words in calling out the culprits and passionately defended the government’s move to demolish illegal houses and properties owned by the stone-pelters.
Houses used for stone-pelting will be turned into a pile of rubble: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra stated that the government is strict in dealing with the stone-pelters, adding that they will turn every house used by stone-pelters to attack the procession into a pile of rubble.
Calling spade a spade, Mishra blamed Muslims for the violence that was witnessed during the Ram Navami celebrations. He said Muslims should not expect justice after carrying out such attacks.
“If Muslims carry out such attacks then they should not expect justice,” Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra told NDTV, holding the community responsible for violence and riots.
Who is Narottam Mishra?
A no-nonsense politician, Dr. Narottam Mishra is the incumbent Minister for Home Affairs, Law and Legislative Affairs, Prisons, and Parliamentary Affairs in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government.
Mishra is a seasoned politician, elected over six times to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly—three times from the Dabra assembly constituency of Gwalior district—and another three times from the Datia assembly constituency.
However, his first brush with politics came during his college days in 1977-78, when he served as the Secretary of the student’s union of the Jiwaji University Gwalior, the institute from where he completed his M.A and later, Ph.D.
Around this period, the BJP was rapidly gaining inroads around the country and challenging Congress’ hegemony, which suffered a setback following the imposition of the Emergency in 1975. The saffron party’s ideology and political doctrine influenced Mishra, who joined the BJP’s youth wing and later served as a member of State Executive Body of MP Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha from 1978 to 1980.
A decade later, Mishra got elected to the 9th Vidhan Sabha of Madhya Pradesh in 1990 and re-elected in 1998 and 2003 from the Dabra assembly constituency of Gwalior district. Then in 2008, he contested and won from the Datia assembly constituency and was re-elected in 2013 and 2018 from the same constituency.
In 2005, Shri Babulal Gaur, then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, included Mishra in his Council of Ministers as a Minister of State. Months later, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, another BJP stalwart, became the CM. Mishra was again a part of his Council of Ministers and subsequently inducted into the Cabinet.
Years later, in 2013, Mishra again took oath as a Cabinet Minister under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Across his various terms in office, Mishra has served as Cabinet Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Urban Development, Public Relations, Water Resources, Law and Legislative Affairs, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Mishra took oath yet again on 20 April 2020 as the Minister for Home Affairs, and Health and Family Welfare, Government of Madhya Pradesh. In the wake of cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed as the Minister for Law and Legislative Affairs, Prisons, and Parliamentary Affairs, while continuing to retain the Ministry for Home Affairs.
Mishra’s unapologetic support for Hindutva
During his ongoing tenure as the Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mishra has been stringent in dealing with anti-social elements that threaten the law and order of the society. He has ordered the demolition of illegal properties and commercial establishments of those involved in stone-pelting in Khargone. Moreover, he has staunchly defended his government’s move of initiating punitive action against the culprits responsible for creating chaos and disorder during the Ram Navami celebrations.
Mishra has been a vigorous supporter of Hindutva. In October 2021, activists of the Bajrang Dal launched a protest in Bhopal on the sets of director Prakash Jha’s web show Aashram. Responding to the incident, Mishra had then announced that the MP government will issue new guidelines to filmmakers under which scripts will need the district administration’s approval before shooting.
Questioning the duplicity of filmmakers in their portrayal of different religions, Mishra said they are welcome to shoot in the state, prior permission must be sought before filming “objectionable scenes”. Mishra said that film or web-series makers would now have to get their scripts cleared by the district administration in MP.
Furthermore, Mishra had also asked FMCG brand Dabur to withdraw its advertisement showing a same-sex couple celebrating the Hindu festival of Karwa Chauth. The ad had stoked massive outrage, with Hindus accusing the brand of hurting their religious sentiments.
In August last year, a Muslim bangle-seller was beaten up for allegedly harassing a minor girl. It was also discovered that the bangle-seller held multiple Aadhaar cards and pretended to be a Hindu. A case was filed against the bangle-seller. The incident was amplified in the mainstream media as an attack on the minorities.
However, Mishra justified the police action, saying that when a man hides his name and religion, it creates suspicions and mistrust among others.
“As per the report of the Home Department, the man was selling bangles using a Hindu name while he was from some other religion. There were two Aadhaar cards on him, allegedly fake. There is a ritual of women wearing new bangles during Saawan month. The issue between two sides started from there.”
