Ahead of MP assembly bypolls, Shivraj Singh Chouhan announces memorial for Padmavati

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday introduced a memorial to be in-built Bhopal to commemorate legendary queen Padmavati.

Chouhan’s announcement on the memorial throughout a ‘shastra pooja’ (worship of weapon) programme organised by the Rajput group in Indore on Tuesday got here virtually three years after he introduced a ban on the Bollywood movie Padmaavat and a memorial for Padmavati. He had additionally introduced {that a} chapter on the legendary queen shall be included within the college syllabus within the state.

“I have reserved a piece of land at Manuabhan ki Tekari in Bhopal for the memorial on Maharani Padmavati. A grand memorial will be built over there,” Chouhan mentioned.

Reiterating his announcement to incorporate a chapter on Padmavati within the college syllabus from the subsequent

session Chouhan mentioned, “Besides, two prizes carrying Rs 2 lakh cash and a citation each to be named after legendary warrior Maharana Pratap and Rani Padmavati as ‘Maharana Shourya Puruskar’ and ‘Padmini Puruskar’ will be instituted.”

Chouhan additionally attacked filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and mentioned the movie was “a blow to the society’s honour”. The CM additionally introduced withdrawal of prison circumstances lodged in opposition to protesters in 2018 for protesting in opposition to the film.

Bhansali’s movie on Padmavati had confronted stiff resistance from Rajput organizations which alleged that it distorted historical past.

While Chouhan was making the bulletins some members of the gathering together with girls shouted slogans in opposition to caste-based reservations. They additionally mentioned, “Mamaji (As Chouhan calls himself Mama of children of the state) we want jobs.”

Chouhan throughout a programme organised by SC/ST authorities workers in 2016 had introduced that “duniya ki koi taqat, koi mai ka laal aarakshan khatam nahi kar sakta (no one in the world can do away with reservation). That statement which agitated mainly upper castes people particularly in Gwalior-Chambal region cost the BJP dear in 2018 assembly elections as the video clip containing the speech did the rounds ahead of polls. The party suffered a major setback in the region having managed to win only 7 seats against the Congress’ 26 whereas it had won 20 seats against the Congress’ 12 in 2013 assembly elections.

Out of the 28 assembly seats where bypolls are going to be held, 16 of the constituencies fall under the same region.

The opposition Congress dismissed Chouhan’s announcement as a publicity stunt to woo a particular section of voters ahead of bypolls.

“Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should also make it clear as to what stopped him from implementing his own announcements on Rani Padmavati when he himself was the chief minister in 2017 and 2018 as well. What can be more unfortunate than playing politics in the name of legendary warriors of our country? He should at least spare the great personalities of the country and not use them as means to garner votes,” Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta mentioned.