BHOPAL: High-voltage drama unfolded in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district on Wednesday when ruling BJP MLA Narendra Singh Kushwah engaged in a noisy and abusive confrontation with District Collector Sanjeev Srivastava at the latter’s official residence.
The incident, caught on camera, occurred after Kushwah, a three-time MLA from the Bhind seat, arrived at the collector’s residence accompanied by a group of farmers. They were reportedly there to protest the shortage of fertilisers, with each farmer receiving only two bags.
When the collector did not come out to meet him, Kushwah forcibly entered the residence along with his supporters. “I will make the public enter your house today,” the BJP legislator declared as he entered.
Upon seeing the MLA inside, Collector Srivastava emerged, leading to a heated exchange between the two. The confrontation escalated after the collector warned Kushwah to stay within limits and stated that illegal sand mining would not be tolerated in the district.
In a fit of rage, Kushwah labelled the district collector a “chor” (thief) and was seen on camera raising his hand as if to slap Srivastava. Throughout the heated exchange, the MLA used abusive language and urged the accompanying farmers and supporters to chant slogans such as “Bhind collector chor hai” (Bhind collector is a thief).
The situation intensified as Kushwah and his supporters staged a dharna outside the collector’s bungalow, demanding the immediate removal of Srivastava. They set up a tent, sound system, and air coolers, vowing not to end the protest until their demand was met. Supporters continued to chant slogans accusing the collector of corruption.
Senior police and administrative officials, including SP Bhind Asit Yadav, rushed to the scene but were unable to defuse the situation. It was only after phone calls from a senior state minister and the Chief Minister’s office that Kushwah finally ended the dharna, according to sources in Bhopal.
Kushwah later accused the Bhind district collector of corruption and mismanagement, alleging that farmers were being deprived of essential supplies and that corruption was rampant in every department.
Kushwah has a long political history in Bhind, having won the MLA seat on a BJP ticket in 2003 and 2013. He lost the 1998 and 2008 elections as a BJP candidate and contested the 2018 election as an SP candidate after being denied a BJP ticket, finishing third. He returned to the BJP ahead of the 2023 polls and won the seat in a three-cornered contest against Congress and BSP candidates by over 14,000 votes.