What is BJP’s symbol, when was party formed? MP minister’s quiz for schoolchildren

His queries flummoxed not only students but also the teachers. For good measure, he told the students that these are important things and they must be aware of them.

Updated on: Feb 20, 2017, 11:11:32 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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What is the symbol of the BJP? When was the BJP formed? Who is the Prime Minister of India and to which party does he belong? Madhya Pradesh agriculture minister Gauri Shankar Bisen asked these “general knowledge” questions not to any party worker but to students of elementary classes at a government primary school in Indore.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan showering flower petals on students during the mass teaching event 'Mil- Banchey Madhya Pradesh' during his visit at his Alma Mater Government Sanjay Gandhi Middle School in Bhopal on Saturday. Madhya Pradesh agriculture minister Gauri Shankar Bisen asked questions on the BJP to elementary school children as part of this programme. (PTI)

Bisen’s questions came during the government’s mass teaching event “Mile Banche Madhya Pradesh” on Saturday. His queries flummoxed not only students but also the teachers. For good measure, he told the students that these are important things and they must be aware of them.

Bisen also asked students who was providing mid-day meals to them and who was the chief minister of state.

Not only this, he concluded his teaching assignment by shouting ‘Jai Jai Shree Ram’ and asked students to repeat it.

Read | Ministers want education system to make students more patriotic

When HT asked Bisen about the motive of asking questions related to the BJP, he had no qualms about it. “I am a minister of BJP-led government. The Prime Minister is also from BJP. It’s my party why shouldn’t I ask these questions to the students. They must know about the ruling party,” he said.

Another faux pass

In Khandwa district, the government’s exercise backfired to reveal a low standard of education. In a primary school where school education minister Vijay Shah went to teach, not only students but a teacher also failed to read out from a Hindi book of fifth standard.

Shah asked students to read a lesson of their Hindi book but students failed to read. Shah, then, asked the teacher Rewaram Banethia to read it. But he also failed to read it properly.

The infuriated minister asked the teacher and asked what salary he was drawing. Shah said he wouldn’t punish anyone but told the teacher that he should be ashamed.

Read | RSS holds high-profile event to influence India’s education policy

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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