Cabinet minister Nagar Singh Chauhan, serving in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, has expressed strong displeasure over the removal of the Forest Ministry from his portfolio. In a display of rebellion, Chauhan has threatened to resign from his ministerial post and has extended this threat to include his wife, Anita Nagar.
In the wake of his resignation threat, Chauhan has been summoned to Delhi by the BJP high command. He is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Tuesday, while his wife, Ratlam MP Anita Nagar, has already left for the national capital. The high command, including Home Minister Amit Shah, will talk to him regarding his stance.
Chauhan's dissatisfaction stems from the reassignment of the Forest and Environment Department. On Monday, he conveyed his intentions to resign, stating, "I will resign from the post of minister because I am not able to protect the tribal interests while being a minister."
'Forest Dept is very close to the tribals'
Chauhan further elaborated on his grievances, highlighting the significant tribal population in Madhya Pradesh. "23 percent of the population in Madhya Pradesh is tribal. This was the first time that tribals had been given leadership, but now the Forest Department, which is very close to the tribals, has been taken away and given to a former Congress leader (Ram Niwas Rawat). I don't think such a decision will benefit me or the party workers."
Six-time MLA from Vijaypur in Sheopur district and former Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat joined the BJP on April 30 during the Lok Sabha election campaign.
The minister claimed that he discussed the issue with party leaders on Sunday night and plans to continue the discussion.
This situation presents a challenging scenario for the BJP leadership, as they tackle the internal conflict and seek to address Chauhan's concerns while maintaining party unity.