Discontent is brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ranks in Madhya Pradesh, as grievances voiced by the party’s MLAs continue to surface. The latest in this line of incidents involves Deori MLA Brijbihari Pateriya, who recently resigned in protest over a local issue, only to later retract his resignation. His frustration stemmed from the lack of action by his own government, reflecting a broader pattern of tension between BJP leaders and local officials.
BJP MLA Brijbihari Pateriya, representing Deori, submitted his resignation following an incident in Medki village, which falls under his constituency. The controversy arose when a local government doctor demanded a bribe of Rs 40,000 to approve a postmortem report, which was required for villagers to claim a compensation of Rs 4 lakh after a snakebite death. When the villagers refused to pay the bribe, the doctor refused to issue the report. The bribe was demanded to confirm the cause of death in PM report, but when the villagers did not comply, the doctor refused to issue the necessary report.
Upon hearing of the incident, Pateriya demanded that the police take action against the corrupt doctor. However, when the local police station in-charge ignored his request, the MLA expressed his frustration by writing a resignation letter to the Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Pateriya’s actions quickly gained attention, as he cited the unresponsive attitude of both medical and law enforcement authorities as reasons for his drastic step.
Once Pateriya’s resignation letter circulated on social media, the BJP leadership and government moved swiftly to address the matter. Top-level intervention led to Pateriya retracting his resignation. In a statement shared on social media platform X, Pateriya described his decision to resign as impulsive and made in a fit of anger. He assured his constituents that the government and party were now fully supporting him and that his grievances were being addressed.
Following the outcry, an FIR was filed against the doctor, and the police officer who had neglected Pateriya’s complaint was transferred, providing a swift resolution to the immediate issue. Pateriya’s retraction of his resignation, and the actions taken thereafter, helped to defuse tensions, at least temporarily.
While the government managed to address Pateriya’s concerns, another senior BJP leader, Gopal Bhargava, expressed his dismay over the broader issue of how local officials treat elected representatives. Bhargava, a former minister and a stalwart of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, took to social media to voice his strong dissatisfaction with the behavior of government officers.
He condemned the corrupt actions of the doctor involved in the Medki case and criticized the indifferent attitudes of both medical personnel and police officers toward public grievances. Bhargava stressed that the BJP government, committed to serving the poor, could not tolerate such misconduct. His statements highlight a growing rift between BJP leaders and local officials, with Bhargava affirming that he had advised Pateriya not to resign and had taken the matter up with senior officials.
Pateriya’s protest is not an isolated incident. Several other BJP MLAs in Madhya Pradesh have expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of local authorities. Not long before Pateriya’s episode, Pradeep Patel, another BJP MLA from Mauganj, had an altercation with an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). In a dramatic display of frustration, Patel reportedly prostrated himself before the officer, accusing him of being involved in a conspiracy to have him killed. His actions were later supported by former BJP minister Ajay Vishnoi, who criticized the government for allegedly being subservient to powerful lobbies like the liquor mafia.
Similarly, BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak recently raised concerns about his personal safety, claiming that his life was under threat. These instances indicate a growing sense of alienation among BJP legislators, many of whom feel sidelined or ignored by the local administration.
The series of protests and grievances voiced by BJP MLAs in Madhya Pradesh poses a challenge for the party’s leadership. While individual cases like that of Pateriya have been addressed quickly, the recurring nature of these incidents points to deeper issues within the party and its relationship with local authorities. For the BJP, maintaining unity within its ranks will be crucial as it seeks to manage the simmering discontent among its legislators.
