Congress suspends senior leader in MP who opposed induction of Godse admirer

The Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress said Manak Agrawal raised questions against the party president and also gave anti-party statements.

Published on: Mar 15, 2021, 17:45:16 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Hindustan Times, Bhopal

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A senior leader in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress, Manak Agrawal was suspended for six years on Monday for opposing the induction into the party of Babulal Chaurasiya, an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.

Corporator Babulal Chaurasia joins Congress in the presence of former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath on February 25, 2021 (ANI )

Agrawal had sought reply from MP Congress Committee president Kamal Nath for welcoming a Godse admirer. Agrawal said that he was ashamed of this act of Kamal Nath and he announced to hold a protest against it.

A disciplinary committee of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress on Monday suspended Agrawal from the party for the next six years, said KK Mishra, general secretary, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee.

Mishra said, “In many internal meetings, the party leaders have been told to follow the discipline and respect each other but Agrawal, who might have been upset with the party leadership for some other reason, raised questions against the party president and also gave anti-party statements.”

But the MPCC has not taken any action against former minister and senior Congress leader Arun Yadav, who had written an open letter against induction of Chaurasiya.

Mishra said, “Yadav had shared only his personal opinion. He didn’t attack any party leader and didn’t say anything against the party. His letter was on the ideology of the party. Yadav also met Kamal Nath and explained his purpose of writing the letter. The party found his explanation satisfactory so no action will be taken against him.”

However, Manak Agrawal said he was a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) so MPCC cannot take action against him.

Babulal Chaurasiya, a former corporator from Gwalior, who played an important role in building a temple dedicated to Nathuram Godse in November 2017, joined the Congress party on February 25 the presence of former chief minister Kamal Nath.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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