Shivraj Chouhan government

Vyapam Whistleblowers Hope that Ghost of Scam Will Haunt BJP in MP Polls

In Madhya Pradesh, the whistleblowers of the Vyapam scam are aligning themselves with the Congress, with the hope that a new state government will make more progress.

New Delhi: As Madhya Pradesh heads into its first major election since the the Vyapam scam was unearthed, whistleblowers are hopeful that it will cast a shadow on the incumbent BJP government of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. But while they want the current government gone, they aren’t all that happy about Congress’s dalliance with some of the accused in the scam either.

Vyapam – the entrance examination, admission and recruitment scam – shocked the state and the country. Vyapam is an acronym for the state “Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal”, a set of 13 examinations, for which over three million students appear each year. The scam concerned imposters appearing as proxies for candidates, and forged answer sheets supplied by officials in exchange for bribes.

Over 2,000 people, including a state cabinet minister, MLAs and several high ranking officials, were booked or arrested in connection with the case by 2015. Early arrests were made by a Special Task Force. In July 2015, the Supreme Court handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Also read: With Elections Around the Corner, Vyapam Scam Bounces Back to the Centre in MP

Before long, however, people linked with the case – accused, witnesses, and others – started to die in mysterious circumstances. About 52 deaths have been noted. As whistleblowers began to fall, it became increasingly clear that deadly machinations were at work.

Whistle-blowers tweet out to the electorate

Whistleblowers are now hoping that justice will arrive along with the upcoming elections. Social media has emerged as a key platform on which they can share the stories of how they’ve been affected by the Vyapam scam.

Ashish Kumar Chaturvedi, who sought to expose the scam through numerous RTI pleas, told The Wire, that he had been attacked several times and threatened in the presence of police officers. However, he remains undeterred and continues his endeavour to educate people about Vyapam through social media.

“Vyapam is a big issue among the youth, the educated, doctors and those who follow such developments,” he said. “They will evaluate and vote on these issues. But […] such educated and well-heeled people usually record a lower turnout. So the emphasis is on getting them to exercise their franchise. It would impact the election in a big way.”

‘Vyapam’ is the most searched word on the web in MP

Chaturvedi is right. Social media and the internet are crucial, and most people have learnt about the scam online. In 2015, Vyapam’s Wikipedia page had ranked as its 19th most searched globally.

A recent analysis found that it was still the most searched term in Madhya Pradesh. There were between ten lakh and one crore searches for “Vyapam” in a month – surpassing search statistics for political personalities, caste-related issues and issues like farmer distress or corruption in the state.

‘BJP taking the corrupt along; has nexus with the mafia’

Chaturvedi, who lives in Gwalior, is clear that “the BJP is taking corrupt people along and it has a nexus with the mafia. It is with the help of this mafia that it wants to win this election”. He mentioned how the party has given a ticket to the son of its former minister, Laxmikant Sharma, an accused in the Vyapam case.

On the other hand, Chaturvedi said that even though some Congress leaders had inducted an accused MLA – Gulab Singh Kirar – into the party, Rahul Gandhi intervened to have him removed. (Chaturvedi has also FIRs filed against Kirar and his son.)

Congress also draws flak

This episode led to some embarrassment for the Congress. Kirar had been expelled by the BJP three years ago when the CBI named him and his son in an FIR. They were accused of irregularities in the entrance exam for post-graduate courses in medicine in 2011. In spite of this, on October 31, he was taken into the Congress fold in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi and top state leaders.

The Congress reversed its decision the following day. Party spokesperson Shobha Oza even denied that he had joined “officially”. However, Kirar claimed that he will continue to work for the Congress regardless.

Tickets for tainted candidates

Congress is also facing flak for giving a ticket to another Vyapam accused, MLA Phundelal Singh Marko from Pushprajgarh. Marko had defeated two-time BJP MLA Sudama Singh in 2013, despite a BJP wave at the time.

In defence of its decision, Congress state vice-president for media, Bhupendra Gupta was recently quoted as saying: “Marko was made an accused by STF but he is not an accused on the CBI list.” Even so, he added, “the case is sub judice and he can’t be judged guilty at this point of time”.

This disappointed some whistleblowers. Chaturvedi insisted that both Marko and his son were named as accused by the STF. They did not receive a clean chit even when the the CBI took over the probe in July 2015.

‘Delay in Congress’s manifesto will leave little time for Vyapam impact’

The RTI activist also wondered why the Congress had not released its manifesto yet as that would have equipped its followers with more ammunition to attack the BJP with.

“Only about a fortnight remains before the state goes to polls on November 28. So, when will people read and analyse the manifesto?” he asked. “Ordinary people may not even get to know what [Congress] has to say about Vyapam.”

Chaturvedi is also hoping that other parties, like Aam Aadmi Party, which have thus far been silent on the issue, eventually speak about it.

‘Congress should take a proper position on Vyapam’

Prashant Pandey, from Indore, had been hired as an IT consultant by the Special Task Force (STF) while investigating the scam. He is not happy, however, with the Congress walking on eggshells about discussing those accused in the scam.

Pandey also received death threats while dealing with the case. He said, “I always wanted the Congress, which had supported us, to take a proper position on Vyapam in this political scenario”.

Also read: With Anti-Incumbency in the Air, BJP Is Picking Its Candidates Carefully in MP

But with the Congress briefly inducting Kirar and then chief minister Chouhan’s brother-in-law, Sanjay Singh Masani, he wondered how much the issue would be pursued. Masani has since been fielded by the party from Waraseoni in Balaghat district.

Insisting that he was not politically motivated, Pandey said that he still wanted the Congress to field another whistleblower, Dr. Anand Rai, from Indore 5 constituency. “I wanted the Congress to give him a chance. However, his name has not been finalised.”

‘Vyapam is a big issue, it cannot be ignored’

Pandey, who moved to Delhi three years ago, said he has been in regular touch with leaders from all political parties, including Arvind Kejriwal and many other from the BJP who want the truth to be revealed.

As of now, Pandey said, while he was a little disappointed with the Congress’s approach, he and other activists were pursuing the Vyapam issue with equal zeal. “We are taking up the Vyapam issue both, on social media and in the courts as well. Once the tickets are announced, we are sure it will be taken up. It is a huge issue and cannot be ignored”.

Despite Nutrition Benefits, Most BJP States Keep Eggs out of Mid-Day Meals

Eleven BJP-ruled states, three in which it is a coalition partner and three non-BJP states do not serve eggs despite the National Institute of Nutrition making it compulsory under the mid-day meal scheme.

New Delhi: While eggs have been established to be an excellent source of protein and all essential nutrients, except vitamin C, for young children, the latest “egg map” – which illustrates how many eggs are distributed per week in mid-day meals served in schools and anganwadis across the country – shows a clear absence of eggs from the menu in most BJP-ruled states.

The National Institute of Nutrition, which works under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, made the provision of eggs compulsory in mid-day meals, as they are considered cheaper, safer, more nutritious and easier to procure than alternatives such as milk or bananas. Despite this, 11 BJP states have not been serving eggs to children under the scheme.

While Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur do not distribute eggs at all, others like Uttarakhand and Assam distribute only one egg per week.

Only Jharkhand and Tripura have a better record – while Jharkhand distributes three eggs per week in both schools and anganwadis, Tripura distributes two eggs per week in schools and one per week in anganwadis.

‘Egg map’ that shows the number of eggs distributed by state governments to children under the mid day meal scheme. Credit: Swati Narayan

Southern, eastern states have a better compliance rate

In comparison, states like Tamil Nadu (five eggs per week in schools and three in anganwadis), Andhra Pradesh (five in schools and four in anganwadis), Telangana (three in schools and seven in anganwadis), Odisha (two in schools and five in anganwadis) and West Bengal (two each in schools and anganwadis) have a much better track record.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the distribution of eggs is a nominal one per week in schools.

In states being ruled by coalitions in which the BJP is a partner, the distribution of eggs under the mid-day meal scheme is also abysmal.

In Bihar, only one egg is distributed per week in both schools and anganwadis, whereas in Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland, eggs are not distributed at all. Non-BJP states such as Punjab, Delhi and Mizoram also do not provide eggs to children, while Kerala only provides one egg per week in schools.

Social, religious considerations

Apart from political reasons, social and religious considerations also come in the way of the distribution of eggs. Nutritionists, paediatricians and policy makers insist that eggs can assist in providing a complete and balanced diet to children. The inclusion of eggs is recommended since egg protein also has high biological value and digestibility.

The National Institute of Nutrition had stated that proteins derived from egg had comparatively higher protein bioavailability of 94%, which was far more than vegetable proteins like bengal gram (76%) and soya bean (54%).

Several states have already implemented the scheme. Andhra Pradesh, taking cognisance of the NIN report last year, decided to make it mandatory to provide eggs to all students studying in government-run schools.

It had directed the district education officers to strictly implement the prescribed menu in mid-day meals and also decided not to exempt any agency or institution like the Akshaya Patra Foundation or ISKCON from not providing eggs to students in the name of religious traditions.

Some BJP states take small steps, others remain defiant

The move has also been finding traction in other BJP states. Last year, eggs were introduced in the scheme in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district. Here, children were provided eggs once a week in anganwadi centres to prevent malnutrition. For those who do not eat eggs, the provision of milk and bananas once a week was made.

The issue had also been raised three years ago in Madhya Pradesh when a unique protest was held against chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s policy of not allowing eggs in mid-day meals across the state. Protestors distributed eggs to the Sahariya children of Shirpura village in Shivpuri district. The money for that meal had come from within the community and the protest was in defiance of Chouhan’s opposition – based on personal reasons – to the idea of serving eggs in a state where about 52% of children are malnourished.

My Chief Ministership is Absolutely Out of the Question: Digvijaya Singh

As MP inches towards polls, the Congress leader’s 3,300-km Narmada Parikrama on foot signals his return to state politics and playing a more active role in keeping his faction-ridden party together.

Like his politically astute mentor Arjun Singh, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh works to a long-term plan. After a announcing sanyas from Madhya Pradesh politics in 2003, Singh in October last year, embarked on a 3,300-km Narmada parikrama on foot. Since then the Congress leader has been engaged in a mass contact campaign across the state, signalling his return to politics in the state.

As Madhya Pradesh inches towards assembly polls later this year, Singh seems to be readying himself to play a more active role in state politics. Talking to The Wire, the Congress leader lays down some of the strategies that the Congress is going to adopt in the coming polls to counter the BJP-RSS combine.

AZ: The buzz in Bhopal is that the Narmada parikrama you have undertaken has turned you into a force to reckon with in the politics of Madhya Pradesh. Is the opposition nervous?

DS: Well this is something I cannot comment on. I can’t assess my own stature. It is for you or someone else to do. During my parikrama, many people have approached me. They don’t normally get to see their leaders. This was an opportunity for them to vent their anger. I’ve always been a patient listener. People spoke about their problems. For instance, not getting proper remunerative prices, rampant corruption in the procurement and other departments, illegal sand mining and personal issues they have to deal with. I took note of their complaints. My office has taken care of some paper work.

Digvijaya Singh and his wife, Amrita, during the mass contact campaign in the state. Credit: Twitter/Acharya Pramod

Narmada is an emotive issue for the people in the state. They live along the river’s banks and are dependent on it for their livelihood. Is your parikrama using such popular emotion to feed a political strategy?

You know, people are free to draw their own conclusions about the parikrama, political or otherwise. But as far as I am concerned, I am again reiterating that my parikrama is totally non-political. I must put on record that people from all castes, communities, cutting across party lines, have supported us. They provided us with food, shelter – whatever they had at their disposal.

Regardless of people’s speculations, I have fulfilled a commitment that I made to myself about undertaking the parikrama.

We saw how the Madhya Pradesh government elevated several sadhus to the position of ministers of state. The government seems to be aware of having failed to deliver on the Narmada front. Do you think that this could damage BJP’s poll prospects?

Well, it was a knee-jerk reaction on the part of the state government. The sadhus said that I am going to launch a parikrama to expose corruption in the Narmada sewa yatra (a campaign run by the Madhya Pradesh government) . That sent the state government into overdrive, with it placating the sadhus by appointing a committee and giving them MoS status.

Clearly, there is something fishy about it. Out of the five people appointed (in the committee), only two have taken advantage of this. To my knowledge, three them have refused the position because of the public outcry. I can’t understand who advised (chief minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan. No sane person would have reacted the way he has.

Many people are trying to interpret the recent developments – Kamal Nath’s elevation as MPCC President, Jyotiraditya Scindia as campaign committee chief. You have said that you are opting out of any formal role in the party’s plans in the state. But there seems a strategy at play here, which is to allow Kamal Nath to manage the party, keep the flock together, while Scindia will represent the youth. As someone who has governed the state for 10 years, you will drum up support for the Congress, revive the cadre base and make the party robust to fight the elections.

Well, I have volunteered to the party to allow me to take up the responsibility of uniting its different factions at the district level. And if the senior leaders belonging to different factions, who are not seeking tickets in the polls, put up a united front, we can then – I think – sort of convince our workers to stand together and fight the BJP. I hope my party allows us to do that.

State Congress president Kamal Nath with Digvijaya Singh. Credit: PTI

Do you think party workers loyal to you, Kamal Nath, Scindia and other stalwarts, are willing to come together as a united front? You think that is the larger sentiment prevailing within the party and among the cadre?

Well, most of our workers have been facing persecution. As a result, all of them want the present government to change. There is massive anger among all sections of people, whether they are farmers, traders or labourers and even government employees, against the government.

You enjoy a certain stature in the state, have the appeal of a mass leader. If the Congress gets the numbers after the polls, do you see yourself once again in the reckoning for the chief minister’s post?

Not at all. In fact, I have made that very clear. You have been kind in saying what you have said just now. I have had my innings in state politics. I have been chief minister for 10 years, state Congress president for seven years and minister in the state cabinet for five years. Let new people come in. There is no question of changing my decision. My chief ministership is absolutely out of the question.

Who will be your party’s candidate for the post?

I am not contesting elections. Let the new MLAs choose their leader. Why should I interfere?

Three big states are going to polls. Karnataka is in the thick of things right now. Rajasthan has been a political pendulum in the past, MP has been governed by one party for 15 years. From a political perspective, is this a ‘make or break’ election for the BJP? Do you think MP will be among the states to turn the tide?

The state and central elections are fought on different issues. I will give you the example of 1998. In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won Madhya Pradesh with a huge mandate (30 out of 40 seats). But that same year, the Congress came to power in the assembly elections winning 172 out of 320 seats.

My research tells me the RSS and the Sangh parivar are deeply entrenched in the MP administration. Do you think the Congress has an uphill task in dislodging the BJP and its affiliates that are so deeply entrenched in the system?

You have a point here. The first Jan Sangh MLA was elected from MP, which has been one of their best hunting grounds. But if the Congress party plays its cards well, there is no reason why we shouldn’t form the government. The RSS has got a lot of influence at every level and they have spread to the villages.

At the same time, the RSS is not very happy with the functioning of this government. My friends in the RSS and the BJP have shared their woes of how corruption has seeped into the system. Basically, traditional RSS families have become inactive, because now the new BJP wants contractors, middlemen and people who can make money, and give a share of it to the establishment, including corrupt government officers and corrupt BJP leaders. BJP workers are unhappy that despite their hard work for the party, the sadhus who were earlier with the Congress have suddenly been given minister status.

What is the biggest weakness that continues to plague the Congress in MP?

The Congress party has to connect with the people, and become an instrument to sort of solve their problems take up their issues. At every level, Arun Yadav has done his best, the legislature party has done fairly well but the omissions and commissions of the BJP government have to be constantly drummed into the people.

What are your thoughts on a potential alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party?

This is for the party to consider.

Would you be in favour of an alliance?

Well, I cannot say it publicly at the moment. It’s still at a very nascent stage. So I would not like to comment.