Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Thursday lashed out at people who allegedly performed the 'shradh' (a Hindu ritual to pay respects to the deceased) of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and said that criminal case should be filed against him. The former Chief Minister further said that performing shradh for someone while they are alive increases their lifespan.
Responding to Chouhan's statement of 'rising like a phoenix', Bharti said that he does not need to be a phoenix bird as the 'shradh' will have the opposite effect abd it will extend life, and maintain health.
'No need to be a phoenix bird'
"There has been a controversy over the shradh (a Hindu ritual to pay respects to the deceased) conducted for Shivraj Ji for the last two days. Whoever performed this act is condemnable. The person should be identified, and a criminal case should be filed against him. However, the truth is that performing shradh for someone while they are alive increases their lifespan. I, myself, took the initiation into sanyas (renunciation) in November 1992. I performed my pind-daan, tarpan, and shradh in the Amar Kantak Kund. Shivraj Ji does not need to be a phoenix bird. The phoenix burns, turns into ashes, and then a new sunrise emerges from those ashes. Shradh will have the opposite effect, it will extend life, and maintain health. There is no need to become a phoenix," she said in a post on X in Hindi.
Notably, shradh is a ritual performed by Hindus to pay homage to their ancestors during the 'Pitru Paksha' period which is currently underway.
What Shivraj Singh Chouhan said?
Chouhan responded sharply after messages announcing his death were posted on social media. While campaigning for BJP candidate Alok Sharma, the Chief Minister slammed the Congress and said the opposition party “is scared of me”.
"They keep abusing me every day. Yesterday some people tweeted 'mama tera shraddh ho gaya (uncle, your funeral rites have been performed)'... prayers are being offered for my death. Congress wants my destruction but I am Shivraj and servant of the people, even if I die I will rise like a phoenix to serve my people," he said.
https://twitter.com/ANI_MP_CG_RJ/status/1712125520245391466
What is the controversy
It started when BJP released its fourth list on the occasion of Pitru Paksha. As soon as the list came out, a tweet surfaced from an account in the name of 'With Congress'. An X handle @WithCongress, which the Congress says is not affiliated with the party but is followed by multiple state units, including the Madhya Pradesh office, had posted a photograph of Chouhan with the message “‘mama ka shraddh… shraddh mein BJP ne dia mama ko ticket’.”
Replying to the same tweet, the Chief Minister’s son, Kartikey Singh Chouhan lashed out at the Congress and said, "Don’t know whether to pity or get angry. I am angry, after all you are talking about the shradh of my living father. I also feel pity for you people… how low Congressmen have fallen today. Do you think God will forgive you for this?"
"The elections are just four days away. After such a disgraceful act, will you be able to look your children in the eye?" Chouhan’s son questioned.
Congress on X post
State Congress chief Kamal Nath, responded on X, stating that his party had not tweeted any such post. "Dear Shivraj ji, may God give you a long life. I don't understand why you see the Congress party behind everything. No such tweet as you mentioned has been posted by the Congress," he said.
He further said that Chouhan can take legal action against the person who tweeted the post if he wishes so. "Accusing the Congress party without any factual basis is the lowest level of politics. Spreading false propaganda to gain sympathy is not ethical," he added.
"It was the BJP which gave ticket to Chouhan during the Shradh period and not the Congress. You (Chouhan) know very well that you have personal enemies in your own party and they are leaving no stone unturned to harm you. It will be better to establish discipline in your party rather than making false allegations against others. May God grant you a healthy and long life," he further added.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections
The election to the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to be held on November 17, while counting of votes will take place on December 3.
In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress had won 114 seats, while the BJP got 109. However, the Congress government fell after many MLAs under the leadership of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who later became a Union minister, joined the BJP. The BJP returned to power in March 2020 with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister for a fresh term. The BJP's current strength in the assembly is 127.
Also Read: BJP-RSS 'laboratory' will be built in Madhya Pradesh, says Rahul Gandhi in Shahdol
