Bhopal, Aug 11 (PTI) The lone white tiger safari of Madhya Pradesh at Mukundpur in the state's Vindh region is at the centre of a political row that has pitted ruling BJP leaders against each other as well as those from the opposition Congress.
The tussle was triggered after a letter from the Maihar additional collector to the Amarpatan revenue officer seeking stakeholders' views on the proposal to shift six villages, namely Mukundpur, Dhobahat, Amin, Parsiya, Anandgarh and Papra, currently in Amarpatan tehsil of Maihar, to Rewa went viral last week.
Mukundpur, incidentally, is the location of MP forest department's Maharaja Martand Singh Judeo white tiger safari and zoo set up in 2016 in memory of Mohan, a white tiger captured in Rewa in 1951 and considered the progenitor of most white tigers worldwide. It was captured by Rewa Maharaja Martand Singh.
Five-time Satna BJP MP Ganesh Singh on Friday wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav opposing the proposal to shift the villages, calling it a "conspiracy" to benefit Rewa, which is represented in the assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla.
Former BJP MLA from Maihar and Vindh Janata Party founder Narayan Tripathi accused Shukla of trying to "snatch" Mukundpur from Maihar.
Congress MLA and ex-deputy speaker Rajendra Singh alleged the move's "main objective" was control over the safari, adding that he would lead a Gandhian protest that would include "filling Maihar jail with 1,000 satyagrahis".
Taking to X, Deputy CM Shukla said "some Congress leaders have made baseless remarks that do not stand the test of facts".
"The demarcation of district boundaries is under the jurisdiction of the State Reorganisation Commission, which has neither sought my suggestion nor have I made any such demand," Shukla asserted.
Meanwhile, veteran Vindhya journalist and political observer Jairam Shukla said "politicking" must stop as boundary reorganisation exercises are meant to give relief to citizens.
"Mukundpur is about 12 km from Rewa's headquarters but nearly 60 km from Maihar headquarters. The boundary reorganisation commission was meant to ease public access to district offices and courts. Leaders should stop politicking and realise the exercise is intended to address such anomalies," said Shukla, a former editor of monthly magazine 'Charavathi' brought out by Pandit Deendayal Vichar Prakashan.