CM Yadav Orders Probe Into Shivraj’s Tribal Eviction Claim Amid Encroachment Row

Bhopal: A day after Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan created a ripple in the political circles here by targeting chief minister Mohan Yadav over alleged eviction of tribals in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district, the latter on Tuesday asked the chief secretary to submit a report on the matter.

Mr. Yadav said that the issue has come to his notice and he has sought a report on it from the officials concerned.

“Our senior leader has raised an issue. I have ordered a probe into it. Our government is sensitive to the causes of the people”, he said.

Mr. Yadav said that he has asked the chief secretary to submit a report on the matter.

“The investigation will bring out the truth”, he said.

Mr. Chouhan, in an uncharacteristic style, on Monday launched a diatribe against the Mohan Yadav government for demolishing houses of 12 tribal families in the village of Kosmi under Budhni assembly constituency, falling under his Lok Sabha seat of Vidisha, reminding the chief minister that he became chief minister with their votes.

Mr. Chouhan’s outburst against the Mohan Yadav government has created a ripple in the ruling BJP circles here, triggering apprehension of revival of power struggle between the two leaders.

The Union minister also staged a demonstration along with the families, affected by the eviction drive of the state government, in protest against the measure.

His son Kartikeyan Chouhan later took part in the stir when the Union minister left for Delhi.

The forest department has however said that the encroachers were removed from the forest land in an anti-encroachment drive.

“The forest department had removed the encroachment in the forest land in the village after following due official procedures”, a senior forest officer told this newspaper, unwilling to be quoted.

He said that the department welcomes any probe into it.