BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Sunday picked up a pickaxe and struck the first blow to demolish part of his ancestral home in Ujjain’s Abdalpura as part of a road-widening project ahead of Simhastha 2028.
The 12-by-60-foot house was built in 1974 by Yadav’s grandfather, Ramchandra Yadav. Yadav, his siblings and other family members grew up there. His father Poonamchandra Yadav and uncle Shankarlal Yadav also lived in the house.
"It is natural to feel emotional when one has to demolish the parental house. This is the place where I grew up, playing and running around, and now I am stepping forward to dismantle it with my own hands. It certainly has an emotional impact," Yadav said.
The gesture came on the second day of the Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s demolition drive. After Yadav’s symbolic first strike, municipal workers used pickaxes and hammers to demolish the marked portion of the house. About 2.90 metres of the structure falls within the proposed road alignment. The family has agreed to remove the affected portion and will not seek compensation.
The project covers a 730-metre stretch from Khajur Wali Masjid through Abdalpura and Jiwajiganj police station to Ganesh Chowk. The road will be widened to 15 metres ahead of Simhastha 2028.
A total of 272 buildings have been identified as affected by the project, with some residents already removing portions of their properties themselves.
Yadav’s elder sister Kalawati Yadav, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation chairperson, also has a house affected by the project. Several of Yadav’s childhood friends and neighbours in the locality, around 1.5 km from the Mahakaleshwar temple, are also affected.
Yadav said the decision was necessary for the city’s development and Simhastha preparations.
"People have memories and emotions connected to their homes from the time they are born. Despite this, decisions are being taken for the city's development, better traffic movement and compliance with the law," he said, adding that he had to consciously control his emotions. "If it is necessary for the administration and essential for the Simhastha, then this sacrifice must be made. I am satisfied that we are all doing this together," he said.
His neighbour, Laxminarayan Solanki, recalled seeing Yadav and his siblings grow up in the neighbourhood.
The road-widening work is part of infrastructure projects being undertaken across Ujjain ahead of Simhastha 2028. Road and infrastructure work is planned across nearly 500 km of the city, including several major corridors. More than 50 religious sites along these roads are also understood to be affected.
Yadav arrived at the site as the Chief Minister, but took the first step in demolishing the house where he had spent his childhood.
