BHOPAL: In a major embarrassment to the ruling BJP, a woman MLA of the party Neelam Mishra alleged in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday that her husband and family were being harassed by the police in native Rewa district at the behest of a senior minister of the state government. She broke into tears while raising the issue in the House.
While raising the matter during the zero hour, Mishra, the legislator from Semaria seat of Rewa district, alleged that her husband Abhay Mishra, who is also the Rewa district panchayat chairperson had been implicated by the Rewa district police in a false case at the behest of a minister who represents the party in the house from Rewa district only.
"Police are regularly haunting us, visiting our house in search of my husband to arrest him. We're being targeted by the police and particularly the SP Rewa at the behest of the concerned minister. I demand an assurance from the home minister that my husband, me or family will not be targeted in the false case," demanded Mishra.
Seeing the ruling party in a spot, the Congress legislators, including the leader of opposition Ajay Singh came out in support of the BJP MLA, while the ruling party MLAs, terming the matter as an individual case, alleged that the Congress party was behind the matter being raised by Mishra in the house. The home minister Bhupendra Singh assured that injustice won't be allowed to happen with her or family and added that SP Rewa would be directed to conduct an impartial probe in the matter.
After the house was adjourned in the zero hour, the concerned BJP woman MLA flanked by the Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh addressed the media over the issue. She alleged that her husband Abhay Mishra, a former BJP MLA and presently the district panchayat chairperson in Rewa was being targeted by the police at the behest of industry minister Rajendra Shukla (also the BJP MLA from Rewa seat). "My husband and family are being harassed by the police as he has joined the Congress, after quitting the BJP. He is also being framed in a false case, because I've raised in the past the issue of illegal mining, which is taking place with patronage of the minister Rajendra Shukla." Mishra further said her husband Abhay Mishra was frontrunner for being the Congress candidate against minister Rajendra Shukla from Rewa seat in next assembly elections, hence he had been framed in a false criminal case by police at Shukla's behest.
"For the last year and half there has been no development in my constituency, as only one BJP legislator, the minister Rajendra Shukla rules the roost in Rewa district. I will not contest the next assembly polls and will quit as MLA, if injustice continues to be meted out to my constituency," said Mishra. She added that "what's the use of being in a party where the voice of women is suppressed." But she later changed the stance, saying she had no complaints with the party and will continue to be its part.
The episode, however, took another dramatic turn when the house resumed after the lunch break, as Mishra walked into the well of the house and sat on dharna, informing the house that her husband Abhay Mishra had been detained by Harda district police. Immediately, opposition Congress members, including some women MLAs followed Mishra into the well of the house, while the Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh said it was unfortunate that a member of the ruling party had to sit on dharna in the house to get justice from her own government. The home minister later went into the well of the house and informed Mishra that her husband was released from police custody in Nemawar (Dewas) following a phone call by him. After learning from the home minister that her husband had been released, Mishra ended her dharna in the house.
Sources in state police told The New Indian Express that the BJP MLA's husband Abhay Mishra was detained at Nemawar police station of Dewas district after his vehicle didn't stop at police checking point in adjoining Harda district. While, the Congress leaders, including Ajay Singh denied any hand in Mishra raising the matter and alleged harassment by police at the behest of minister Rajendra Shukla, the development is being seen as a response by the opposition Congress to the ruling BJP, which had recently made a political issue out of the filing of domestic violence complaint against LoP Ajay Singh by his aged mother. "The BJP MLA's husband Abhay Mishra is a our respectable leader in Rewa now and if his wife wants to join Congress, she also is most welcome," said Singh at a press conference in the evening.