Fire tender used to wash Madhya Pradesh lawmaker Ramnivas Shah’s car; video goes viral

A video of two municipal employees purportedly washing ruling BJP lawmaker Ramnivas Shah’s car went viral on social media

Updated on: Aug 26, 2026, 12:46:50 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A fire tender was purportedly used to wash the private car of a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district, provoking outrage over the misuse of emergency resources.

Singrauli municipal commissioner refused to comment on the issue.

A video of two municipal employees purportedly washing Ramnivas Shah’s car using water pumped through the hose of the firefighting truck went viral on social media on Tuesday. It was reportedly shot from the Singrauli Municipal Corporation’s residential quarters in the city’s Balauji area.

Video sparks criticism

The video triggered sharp criticism, with the Opposition Congress questioning the functioning of the municipal administration.

Praveen Singh Chauhan, a local leader of the Opposition Congress, said fire tenders are meant strictly for emergencies and not for personal use. He demanded disciplinary action against Shah over the misuse of government machinery for private purposes.

Shah, who represents Singrauli in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, feigned ignorance. “I do not know anything about it. I was not present at the spot. The driver and municipal employees can answer for this,” Shah said.

Singrauli municipal commissioner Savita Pradhan refused to comment on the issue.

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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