Criticising this decision a senior BJP leader said it would cause a heavy burden on the government exchequer. Thousands of so-called MISA convicts will press the government to include them in the list of the eligible to receive pension following the government’s new decision.

Several thousand persons were put behind bars by invoking MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) during Emergency imposed in June 1975 and lifted in the mid-1977. Along with political activists persons with criminal record were also arrested under MISA. In view of this it will be difficult to distinguish between those who were arrested for unlawful political activity or those who were found guilty of criminal acts.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, minister Narottam Mishra said, “Now, honorarium of Rs 8,000 per month will be paid to MISA detainees who spent less than a month in prison.”

“The cabinet has decided to amend the Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan (MISA/DIR Prohibition of Political or Social Reasons) Honour Fund 2008. Detainees for political or social reasons under MISA/DIR for less than a month will also be given Rs 8,000 per month. Persons who were detained for a period of one month or more will be paid Rs 10,000,” he said.

Details of the new rules for payment of honorarium will be published in the government gazette.

There was controversy earlier over a Union minister getting MISA pension although he was not in detention for over a month. He had explained that though he was held under MISA for 13 days, he was in jail for the rest of the time.

Meanwhile, after the BJP president's statement that winnability and not age is the sole criteria for party tickets, veteran leader and former chief minister Babulal Gaur has once again raked up the issue and reiterated that he would contest the next assembly elections.

Gaur said that two more leaders, namely Raghavji Bhai and Laxmikant Sharma, both ministers charged in different cases, are top claimants for tickets.

Sources in the saffron party said that most of the veterans have a strong backing from Sangh Parivar that has a bigger say in the party affairs after Narendra Modi emerged victorious in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Former finance minister Raghavji Bhai, who was allegedly facing charges for sodomising his assistant, and Laxmikant Sharma, who was allegedly named in multi-crore Vyapam scandal, were bailed out by the court and are still facing trial.

Even as BJP has kicked up a storm over Rahul Gandhi’s statement on dynasts in India, the fact remains that the party in Madhya Pradesh is as much afflicted with dynasty politics as the Congress. At least three members of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan ministry in the state – Surendra Patwa, Deepak Joshi and Vishwas Sarang – owe their positions to their family background. The fathers of Joshi and Sarang are senior BJP leaders while Patwa’s has entered the ministry courtesy of his uncle late Sunderlal Patwa.

If Sanjay Pathak is a minister, it is because he is the son of former minister Satendra Pathak. Yashodhararaje Scindia would not have been a minister had her mother Rajmata Scindia not been a BJP veteran. Archana Chitnis owes her ministerial berth to her father Brijmohan Mishra, who was speaker of the Vidhan Sabha.

The BJP has been fielding sons, daughters and wives of its deceased MLAs and MPs in bye-elections. In the bye-elections that followed the death of Nepanagar MLA Rajendra Dadu, his daughter Manju was fielded, though she had nothing to do with politics. After minister Gyan Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha, his son Shivnarain was fielded in the bye-election. Gyan Singh, even after his election to the Lok Sabha, did not resign from the ministry and insisted that he would resign only after his son is inducted into the council of ministers. His stand caused embarrassment to the party and ultimately he was persuaded to quit. Whether it is Bahoriband (Katni) assembly by-polls or Ratlam–Jhabua Lok Sabha bye-polls, the party chose candidates from the families of the deceased.

Besides, Devendra Pratap, son of union minister Narendra Singh Tomar; Tushmul Jha, son of MP Prabhat Jha, Harshvardhan Singh Chouhan, son of BJP state chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan, Akash Vijayvargiya, son of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, Sukarna, son of minister Narottam Mishra, Abhishek Bhargava, son of minister Gopal Bhargava and Eklavya, son of Indore Mayor Malini Gaud have all been accommodated in the state BJYM executive, courtesy of their parents.

Then, there are ministers who want to bequeath their assembly constituencies to their sons. Jayant Malaiyya and Gaurishankar Shejwar are ready to forego party nomination provided their sons are fielded instead. Many a BJP leader is exasperated by the dynasty politics. A BJP leader, seeking anonymity, said that the disease has afflicted “our party as well”. He added that the party is suffering because of this. (IPA Service)