Days after he resigned from the post of minister of state in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, maverick seer Computer Baba has attacked the administration of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Computer Baba (53), who resigned on Monday after being appointed in April, has declared, “I don’t want to be part of a government that does not respect cows genuinely and allows blatant illegal mining of sand from the river Narmada, which is a holy river.” Computer Baba said he has been asked by the community of saints to resign and work for creating awareness on the issues of cow protection and Narmada protection, which the BJP government had failed to do.
Saint Namdev Shastri has been popularly known as Computer Baba since 1998 when his guru gave him the name, due to his love for electronic gadgets and computers. Fond of helicopter rides and a desire to contest elections, Computer Baba had always loved the limelight. During important religious events, he makes it a point to land in a hired helicopter. Computer Baba made news recently when he decided to go to the banks of the river Narmada in a helicopter for a ritual bath.
In April this year, Computer Baba and another religious leader, Pandit Yogendra Mahant (55), threatened to conduct a Narmada Ghotala Yatra alleging corruption in the plantation of 6 crore saplings along the river Narmada and illegal sand mining. Six months back, when Computer Baba threatened to bring out the yatra, Chouhan made him a member of a government committee to suggest ways to protect the Narmada, giving him the rank of minister of state with an official car and small office.
Immediately after getting ministerial status, Computer Baba started praising the BJP government and said that he would work with the government for the cause of saving Narmada and cows. Interestingly, Chouhan had taken out a Narmada Yatra previously, covering 16 tribal districts.
The appointment of a 'baba' to minister of state rank by the government was criticised, but the BJP leadership defended the move saying the seers were committed to the issues of Narmada and cow.
However, after five months, Computer Baba decided to relinquish the minister of state status and accused the state government of playing with the sentiments of ordinary citizens in the name of religious issues. Computer Baba said that he is resigning from the Narmada committee as Chouhan was not serious. “I have been under the misconception that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will work seriously to protect Narmada; however, I was wrong,” Computer Baba said.
The decision of Computer Baba to quit his minister post is connected to his ambition of contesting assembly elections. Computer Baba had recently declared that he wants to contest assembly polls on a BJP ticket. However, the BJP did not heed his demand. In 2014, Computer Baba had asked for a Lok Sabha ticket from AAP and BJP but failed to get one.
Realising the importance of the religious stature of Computer Baba, the BJP government declared a special 'cow ministry' would be formed on the day he resigned.
Speaking to mediapersons, Computer Baba said, “My fraternity decides everything about me. It was they who asked me to accept the minister status and now they say that I had not been able to get the government to do anything for cows and Narmada; hence I am resigning.” He said during the last six months, he was not allowed to do anything.
