Bhopal, July 20
The Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh has run into fresh trouble over its alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The husband of one of the two BSP legislators who prop the minority government is wanted in murder case of a senior Congress leader. Furore over his presence in the Assembly on Friday has embarrassed the ruling party.
Govind Singh Thakur, the husband of BSP legislator Rambai Thakur, was seen sauntering in the Assembly premises though there is an arrest warrant against him for the past four months. An award of Rs 25,000 was announced for his arrest.
The government quietly dropped the award last month triggering an outcry within the party and the opposition.
Devendra Chaurasia, a former senior leader of the BSP who had joined the Congress just before the elections, was murdered in March before the Lok Sabha elections. His son Somesh Chaurasia has now accused the Kamal Nath government of protecting his father’s “killer” in a bid to remain in power.
The Congress, which has 114 seats in the state Assembly, enjoys only a slim lead over the BJP’s 108 in the state Assembly. Four independents, two BSP and one Samajwadi Party MLA are backing it.
“I’m an eyewitness to my father’s murder and had recorded before the magistrate that Govind Singh Thakur was among those who killed my father. Now I feel that my father made a mistake by joining the Congress,” said Somesh.
Damoh district police who declared Rs 25,000 reward on Thakur’s arrest dropped it after he submitted several applications saying he was not involved in the murder case.
Govind Singh Thakur is also convicted in a 1998 murder case of Congress leader Rajendra Pathak by district court. He is currently out on bail granted by the state High Court.
Former Minister Vishwas Sarang slammed the government saying: “A murder accused was roaming freely in the Vidhan Sabha despite the heavy security. I could not have happened without the connivance of the police at the behest of the Congress which is at the mercy of the BSP leader.” Home Minister Bala Bachchan pleaded ignorance even while the television channels had shown Thakur moving about in the Vidhan Sabha.
His stock reply was, “We’ll look into the matter.” Devendra Chaurasia was murdered on March 15, 2019 in Hatta town of Damoh district. Thakur and his aides are accused in the case. Govind Singh Thakur had earlier claimed before newspersons he was not present at the spot of murder.
Rambai had also had raised the issue many times in the Vidhan Sabha saying her husband and close relatives were being falsely implicated in the murder case.
