5 ‘minister babas’ spark big political row in MP

Bhopal: A political row has erupted over Madhya Pradesh government’s recent decision to grant minister of state status to five religious leaders of the state.

Opposition Congress on Wednesday issued an appeal to the five spiritual figures, the beneficiaries of government generosity, to spurn the offer in the “interest of society”.

“Religious and spiritual leaders shun worldly matters and work for welfare of the society selflessly. I appeal to the five spiritual figures to spurn the offer by the MP government in the interest of society”, MP Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Arun Yadav said. He also questioned the decision by the state government to grant them status of minister of state when a couple of them had earlier threatened to expose corruption in the state government.

Computer Baba, Hariharanand and Pt. Yogendra Mahant

In a related development, a public interest litigation (PIL) was on Wednesday  filed in the Indore circuit bench of MP high court challenging the state government’s decision to accord minister of state status to the five ‘sadhus’.

The petitioner, Ram Bahadur Verma, said the government’s order flouted the law and pleaded the court to annul it.

Computer Baba, alias Namdeo Das Tyagi, Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharnand Maharaj, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pt. Yogendra Mahant have been given the status of minister of state entitled to enjoy monthly salary, conveyance, staff and other perks being extended to the ministers of the state government.

Meanwhile, the Computer Baba defended the state government saying that, “There is nothing wrong in the move”.

“What is wrong in giving sadhus status of a minister when we are working for the cause of the people,” he said.

Bhayyu Maharaj, the other beneficiary of government generosity, also saw nothing wrong in it, saying, “I will accept the offer but I will not accept the perks entitled for a minister”.

The decision to grant the five religious leaders the status of minister of state has sparked a controversy as it came in the wake of a recent threat by two of them to launch a 45-day campaign to expose corruption.