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NK SINGH Published in India Today 15 December 1992 The Madhya Pradesh Government believes in the adage of better late than never. Last fortnight, it decided to grant an amnesty over cases of petty crimes pending in courts till 1987, with the exception of those concerning habitual offenders. It means that 18,000 alleged small-time criminals will leave the courtrooms beaming. And the state Government's accountants will be delighted at saving about Rs.1 crore every year, the approximate cost of holding trials. For people like Babulal, a handcart pusher, the directive is a godsend. In 1980 he was charged with "obstructing traffic" by the Morena police. His offence: parking his handcart on the road-side. Maximum penalty: Rs.50. Babulal has spent the last 12 years and a good deal of money in and out of various courtrooms. Ajay Upadhyay, 23, a contractor was arrested in 1987. He was charged with smashing a bus windscreen during the anti-reservation agitation, for which ...

Babulal Gaur with Narendra Modi, Pic credit - PTI MP Govt withdraws petty criminal cases from courts NK SINGH Published in India Today (Hindi) 15 December 1992 मुरैना के ठेला चालक बाबूलाल पिछले पखवाड़ें खुशी   से नाच उठे क्योंकि उनके खिलाफ 12 साल से चल रहा मुकदमा वापस ले लिया गया था। पुलिस ने 1980 में उनके खिलाफ सड़क के किनारे ठेला खड़ा करने के आरोप में मुकदमा दर्ज किया था। अदालत के चक्कर काट-काटकर वे खासा समय और पैसा बरबाद कर चुके थे। पिछले पखवाड़े अधिकारियों ने उन्हें बताया कि सरकार ने उनके खिलाफ मुकदमा वापस ले लिया है। बाइस वर्षीय अजय उपाध्याय ठेकेदार हैं। 1987 में जब वे स्कूली छात्र थे तो आरक्षण विरोधी आंदोलन में कूद पड़े। पुलिस ने उन्हें बस के शीशे   तोड़ने के आरोप में गिरफ्तार कर लिया । इस पर अधिकतम दंड दो साल का कारावास था। वे भी छह साल तक चक्कर काटते रहे। पिछले पखवाड़े अदालत ने उन्हें सूचित किया कि सरकार ने उन्हें माफी दे दी तो उन्होंने कहा , ‘‘ मेरी छाती से भारी बोझ उतर गया।‘‘ बाबूलाल और उपाध्याय उन 18,000 लोगों में हैं , जिन्हें उस विशेष योजना का लाभ मिला है...

Kushabhau Thakre NK SINGH Published in India Today, 15 August 1993 The decision by L.K. Advani to "kick start" party politics in Madhya Pradesh has begun with taking away General Secretary Kushabhau Thakre's charge of the state. It has created a storm amongst the rank and file who viewed Thakre as a father figure. Thakre's charge being handed over to Sunder Singh Bhandari has also upset Vijaya Raje Scindia , former chief minister Sunderlal Patwa and party manager Kailash Sarang as they are all part of Thakre's inner circle. Thakre has presided over the party's affairs for more than 40 years. He was an RSS full-timer, 'loaned' to the BJP for building up the organisation. The organisational elections two months ago demonstrated his power. But it was the party's dissidents who triumphed when Advani decided to get rid of Thakre in Madhya Pradesh. For a long time, dissidents had been complaining about Thakre's role as protector only t...

Jyotiraditya Scindia. Pic credit Picasa NK SINGH Almost overnight, Jyotiraditya Scindia has become a power to reckon with in Madhya Pradesh politics. With no party securing absolute majority in 2018 assembly election, he and his group of 22 followers are in a position to make or mar any government. Using that bargaining clout, the Scindia group has become adapt in cornering disproportionate share in power in every Government that it is part of. The group commanded the loyalty of only 19 MLAs in the 114-member Congress Legislature Party when Kamal Nath Government came to power in December 2018. Yet it managed to get as many as 6 ministerial berths in the 29-strong cabinet! The group pulled off an even better performance after it crossed over to the BJP side. In Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, it has managed to corner 14 berths in the 34-member ministry – almost 40 per cent share! More significantly, none of these 14 ministers are MLAs at present, having resigned from th...