MP CM says his minister will be probed if necessary

Kusum Mehdele was caught on camera yesterday in Panna district headquarter purportedly kicking a boy

Vyapam, Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressing a press conference at Mantralaya in Bhopal. Photo: PTI
Shashikant Trivedi Bhopal
Last Updated : Nov 02 2015 | 8:17 PM IST
State chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said he would go for a probe against his cabinet colleague and animal husbandry minister Kusum Mehdele. Chouhan said the minister had replied to an explanation and he would see it and if necessary a probe would be initiated.

The Minister Kusum Mehdele , who is known for his witty remarks, was caught on camera yesterday in Panna district headquarter purportedly kicking a boy who bowed to touch her feet and demanded a rupee, she instead kicked him on his head following which her security personnel caught him and took him away. Panna is also her home turf and she is lawyer by profession.

Meanwhile political parties including main opposition Congress and Aam Admi Party (Aap) have sought her resignation. The Aap has filed a petition in Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission. A video clip of the incident went viral on television channels and social media.

Interestingly Mehdele before holding current portfolio of animal husbandry was women and child welfare minister twice, once in Sundarlal Patwa government and Babulal Gaur's cabinet.

"We have lodged a complaint with state human rights commission and have sought a stern action against the minister," Akshay Hoonka Aap party spokesperson alleged. The state unit of main opposition Congress also protested against the act of the minister and had filed a complaint in Child Commission.

In month of March this year she had written a letter to forest department seeking a law that allows people to domesticate or keep lions and tigers as pet. Later in June this year when the ruling BJP government was trying to propogate vegetarianism in anganwadi meals, Mehdele advocated virtues of eating frog legs and fish and had said nothing wrong in serving boiled eggs and fish in anganwadis.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 02 2015 | 6:38 PM IST

Next Story