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Five Babas given Minister of State status by Shivraj Chauhan govt in MP

Published

8 years ago

April 4, 2018

Five Babas given Minister of State status by Shivraj Chauhan govt in MP

Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, April 3, accorded status of Minister of State (MoS) to five ‘sadhus’ or ‘babas’ (Hindu saints).

Chief minister Chouhan is known to pay homage to babas of all kinds, from Shirdi Sai Baba to those accused of rape like Asaram and Nithyanand.

While the state assembly elections are due later this year, the move was intended to co-opt them so that they drop their proposed campaign against the alleged scam in MP government’s Narmada conservation program.

A day after they were accorded the MoS rank, two of the babas cancelled their campaign.

Before granting MoS status to the five babas, the government on March 31 appointed them to a committee set up to create awareness about tree plantation, water conservation and cleanliness along the Narmada, according to media reports.

The five babas are Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant.

An official of the General Administrative Department (GAD) was quoted as saying that they have been given the MoS status as members of the committee.

Computer Baba had earlier announced to take out the ‘Narmada Ghotala Rath Yatra’ along with Yogendra Mahant in every district of MP from April 1 to May 15, to expose the alleged scam in planting saplings on the banks of the Narmada river and to demand a ban on illegal sand mining. The publicity material of the campaign was also circulated widely on the social media.

Now a MoS, Computer Baba said on Wednesday they have cancelled the campaign because the state government has fulfilled their demand to form a committee of saints and seers for protection of the Narmada river. “Now why would we take out the yatra?” he said.

He defended the grant of MoS status. “What’s wrong with it? We were rewarded for our work,” he said. The baba justified accepting the government facilities meant for an MoS despite being a saint, saying, “If we do not get the post and other government facilities, how can we work for the protection of the Narmada.”

“As a member of the committee, we have to talk to the district collectors and look after other necessary arrangements for the river’s conservation. A government status is required for these works,” he pointed out.

Yogendra Mahant, who was the convener of the proposed campaign, also said that they cancelled the yatra as the state government fulfilled their demand to set up a panel for the river conservation.

On March 31, these five religious leaders were appointed members of the ‘Janjagrukta Abhiyan Samiti’ (Public Awareness Campaign Committee) set up for conservation of the Narmada river.

The opposition Congress dubbed the decision to appoint them as MoS as the BJP’s attempt to exploit the respect these religious leaders enjoy in the society. “It’s a gimmick to score political points. He ignored conservation of the Narmada. These saints should inspect where the state government has planted six crore saplings as claimed by the CM,” said Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.

“This is also an effort by the chief minister to wash off his sins. He ignored the conservation of the Narmada,” said Chaturvedi.

Congress leader Raj Babbar said in Delhi: “They want to use these saffron-robed babas to win elections. They should learn from what happened when they made a saffron-robed priest a Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh.”

The BJP hit back saying the opposition party disliked anything related to saints.

Dismissing their reactions as “a bull reacting to a red rag”, State BJP spokesperson, Rajnish Agrawal said: “The government works according to protocol. The saints and seers were accorded the Minister of State status to make their work of river conservation easy. The saints were roped in for the Narmada conservation work to ensure public participation,” Agrawal said.

A brief introduction to the five babas was carried by The Indian Express as follows:

Computer Baba: His real name is Swami Namdev Tyagi and is called Computer Baba because he claims to have a computer-like brain and a very sharp memory. Moreover, this self-proclaimed modern ascetic is always seen with a laptop in hand. The baba keeps himself armed with all the latest gadgets, including wi-fi dongles, mobile phones and even a helicopter. Apparently, he created ripples in 2013, when he asked Kumbh Mela authorities to allow him to arrive in a helicopter and take a dip in the river.

What has raised eyebrows ,after according the MoS status to Computer Baba, is the fact that he had earlier declared to launch a 15-day “Narmada scam Yatra” along the bank of river Narmada in the state. He, however, junked his plan without assigning any reason. Thanking the Madhya Pradesh government for showing faith on the sadhu community, Computer Baba said they would try their best to work for the society’s welfare. “We thank the govt on behalf of the ‘sadhu’ community for showing trust in us, we will try our best to work for welfare of the society,” ANI quoted him as saying.

Bhaiyyu Maharaj: A zamindar’s son and a former model, Bhaiyyu Maharaj, whose real name is Udaysingh Deshmukh, is known for his opulent lifestyle. He is elegantly dressed, operates from a sprawling ashram at Indore, travels in a white Mercedes SUV with a small band of followers and stays in lavish resorts during his trips. He has a wide following among politicians and businessmen, who flock to him for ‘advice’ on spiritual matters.

According to his website, Yuva Rastra Saint Shri Sadguru Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is mentioned as a spiritual leader, social reformer and motivator, whose sole aim is to bring happiness on the faces of countless poor and downtrodden people, lift them from morass of despair, poverty, social inequality and enable them to live a life of dignity. The high-profile ‘saint’ has married an Indore-based medical practitioner, upsetting many of his disciples. Apparently, Maharaj played an important mediator role in persuading Anna Hazare to call off his fast for Lokpal in 2011.

Hariharanandji: He was among the core group of 50 people who led the Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra — the world’s largest river conservation campaign in terms of sheer scale. Started on 11 December 2016, the yatra concluded on 11 May 2017. The 144-day journey on foot from Amarkantak to Sondwa (Alirajpur) and back to Amarkantak saw Hariharanandji conducting workshops and public meetings on afforestation, sanitation, soil and water conservation, pollution control measures and promotion of organic farming.

Pt Yogendra Mahant: He raised his voice against the BJP state government over the Narmada scam and has convened a rath yatra from May 1 to May 15 in 45 districts. Mahant said the yatra would expose the state government for spending crores of rupees for plantation in the name of Narmada hariyali project. During the rath yatra, he said, it would be displayed on LED screens how the state government was fooling people of the state. The move by Chouhan to grant MoS status seemed to be a ploy to pacify the religious leader, some opposition leaders had alleged.

Narmadanandji: Narmadanandji Maharaj is a revered spiritual guru in Madhya Pradesh and organises yatras during Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami. Last year, he held several shobha yatras (procession) and events organised in different parts of the state and is associated with the Hanuman Janmotsava Samiti and Sanatan Dharma Mahasabha.

Related Topics:Hindu Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

13 hours ago

September 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
India is currently 216 km behind the US.
China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

India News

PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

13 hours ago

September 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister.

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term.

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water. Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century.

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion.

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.

India News

Supreme Court judge calls police assault on CJP protesters very distressing

Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan criticised alleged police assaults on CJP protesters and raised concerns over excessive force.

Published

22 hours ago

September 5, 2026

APNLive Desk

Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has criticised the assault of protesters by police personnel during the recent CJP demonstrations in Delhi, describing the conduct as “very, very distressing” and a matter of serious concern.

Speaking at the launch of retired IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad’s book Policing the Republic, Justice Bhuyan said the detachment expected from police officers appeared to be diminishing.

He expressed concern over young Indian Police Service officers personally participating in the assault of protesters and demonstrators.

Justice Bhuyan stresses need for responsible policing

Justice Bhuyan said effective policing does not require excessive use of force or infringement of human rights. He emphasised that the police play an important role in maintaining public confidence because citizens generally approach the police when they feel they have been wronged.

He said maintaining the credibility of the police force was therefore of “utmost importance”.

The judge’s remarks come amid continuing scrutiny of the police and paramilitary response to the CJP protests in Delhi.

Supreme Court panel to examine police action

The Supreme Court has constituted a high-level panel to investigate allegations concerning the use of force by Delhi Police during the July 20 student protests at Jantar Mantar and the subsequent Parliament march.

The panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy, will examine complaints relating to lathi charges, tear gas, pellet guns and electronic batons. It will also look into allegations of targeted harassment or molestation of female protesters and review available CCTV and video footage.

The police response during the protests has faced criticism, while Delhi Police has maintained that its personnel were also attacked during the clashes.

Judge raises concern over custodial deaths and torture

Justice Bhuyan also spoke about custodial torture and deaths, describing custodial death as one of the gravest crimes in a society governed by the rule of law.

He stressed that torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment cannot be accepted, regardless of whether such conduct takes place during investigation, interrogation or other circumstances.

The judge further warned that when government functionaries themselves become lawbreakers, it can undermine respect for the law and encourage lawlessness.

He questioned whether citizens lose their fundamental rights simply because they have been arrested by police.

‘Fake encounters’ cannot be part of policing

Justice Bhuyan also addressed allegations of extra-judicial killings, commonly referred to as “fake encounters”. Referring to a 2011 Supreme Court judgment, he said such encounters undermine the rule of law.

He stressed that an “encounter philosophy” cannot become part of legitimate policing and said proven fake encounters involving serving police officers must be treated with the utmost seriousness.

The Supreme Court’s panel will now examine the allegations surrounding the police action during the July 20 protests as scrutiny of the events continues.