By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal : A political hurricane hitting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in Madhya Pradesh has been averted when a non-bailable warrant (NBW), issued by the First Class Judicial Magistrate (FCJM) on Thursday against the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP Lokh Sabha leader Sushma Swaraj and two others were stayed by a session court.
The NBW was issued in connection with the dishonouring of the National Tri-colour and has been stayed from execution by the Sehore District Additional Sessions Court. However, The Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Malviya stayed the NBWs issued by FCJM Jaffer Iqbal and set December 1 as the next date for hearing after hearing a plea by Defence Counsel BL Jat.
Earlier in the day a FCJM in Nasrullahganj, a small town and Nagar Panchayat in Sehore district, directed issuance of non-bailable warrants against the Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the then collector Sandip Yadav and district BJP president Raghunath Bhati under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and directed them to appear before the court.
The news of NBW against the state Chief Minister sent jitters down the spine in the Chouhan’s camp with memories of exit of Ms Uma Bharti the former chief minister, in similar circumstances. However, the nightmare was short lived and the imminent political hurricane following the fallout of the NBW had left them unscathed, in the end.
The complaint was filed by local resident Dwarka Jat on May 6th, 2010. It stated that Chouhan organised a felicitation programme for Mrs. Sushma Swaraj at Nasrullahganj on March 31st, 2010. During the programme, a rally was taken out wherein a girl — dressed as Bharat Mata — was allegedly bearing a Tricolour upside down. Jat said he went to Nasrullahganj Police Station to have a First Information Report registration but police refused to act and so he had to move to the court.
Meanwhile, in the state capital Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), President Kantilal Bhuria and MPCC Media Department Chairman Manak Agarwal demanded resignation of the two BJP leaders. “Mrs. Swaraj and Chouhan should tender resignation following the footsteps of former chief minister Uma Bharti; who resigned after a non-bailable warrant was issued against her by a court in Karnataka”, they said.
She had to resign from the post of Chief Minister in August 2004, when an arrest warrant was issued against her with respect to the 1994 Hubli riot case. It was Babulal Gaur who succeeded her from August 22nd, 2004. Shivraj Singh Chouhan being the state BJP President replaced Babulal Gaur as the chief minister on November 30, 2005.
He contested a bye-election from Budhni assembly constituency the following year, winning his old seat by a margin of over 36,000 votes. In 2008, Shivraj Singh Chouhan retained the Budhni seat by over 41,000 votes, and with it, led the BJP to a second consecutive victory in the state. On December 12, 2008, he was sworn in for his second term.
Chouhan served as General Secretary of the BJP and State President, Madhya Pradesh BJP. He joined the RSS in 1972. He has been a five-time Member of Parliament, representing Vidisha in the Lok Sabha since 1991. At present, he represents Budhni, a tehsil place in Sehore District of Madhya Pradesh in the state assembly.