After MoS status, religious leaders cancel stir against MP

A day after being accorded the 'Minister of State' (MoS) status, two religious leaders have cancelled their proposed campaign against the alleged 'scam' in the Madhya Pradesh government's Narmada conservation programme.

Ahead of Assembly elections due later this year, the BJP government in MP yesterday accorded the MoS status to five Hindu religious leaders - Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant.

On March 31, the five religious leaders were appointed to a committee set up for the Narmada river conservation.

As members of the committee, they have been given the MoS status, an official of the General Administration Department said yesterday.

Computer Baba had earlier announced to take out the 'Narmada Ghotala Rath Yatra' along with Yogendra Mahant in every district of MP from April 1 to May 15, to expose the alleged scam in planting saplings on the banks of the Narmada river and to demand a ban on illegal sand mining.

The publicity material of the campaign was also circulated widely on the social media.

However, MoS Computer Baba today said they have cancelled the campaign because the state government has fulfilled their demand to form a committee of saints and seers for protection of the Narmada river.

"Now why would we take out the yatra?" he said.

On accepting the government facilities meant for an MoS despite being a saint, he said, "If we do not get the post and other government facilities, how can we work for the protection of the Narmada."