All roads led to Dussehra Maidan as about one lakh residents coming from all walks of life, age groups and religions gathered there to support CAA. People mostly from middle and higher middle classes were seen at Dussehra Maidan where a public meeting was organised by Bharat Suraksha Manch. Having national flag and play cards reading “I support CAA” in their hands, people started thronging the venue from 11.30 am even though the time for starting the public meting was 2 pm.

While many reached the venue in rallies, thousands reached on their own. By 2 pm Dussehra Maidan was jam packed and thousands of people were standing around as they could not enter inside the venue. Participants raised slogans like “Bhart mata ki jai” and “We support CAA”. Anticipating this huge turnout and to avoid occurrence of any untoward incident, 1,500 policemen including 1,200 reserved personnel were deployed. Bharat Suraksa Manch Indore coordinator Pranjal Shukla said BSM supports every policy which is necessary for national security. “

The district administration gave permission for the Indore show with certain conditions. One of the conditions was that rally will not be taken. But Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is BJP general secretary, led a rally of hundreds of people from Mhow Naka towards Dussehra Maidan. Indore - MLA Ramesh Mendola accompanied him. He also raised highly objectionable slogans. One of the slogan was “Desh ke gaddaro ko goli maro salo ko”(shoot the traitors). Some of the Indore newspapers wrote that RSS did not like Vijayvargiya’s behaviour. It may be recalled that only the other day he threatened that “I will set Indore on fire”.

On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Rakesh Yadav lodged a complaint against Kailas Vijayvargiya for violating section 144 of CrPc, which was in effect in the city. Yadav has alleged that the district administration had given a conditional permission for pro-CAA gathering and didn’t allow any rally. “BJP leader Vijyavargiya not only violated Section 144 but also breached the condition of permission as he took out a rally” the complaint alleged.

Similar massive show was put up in Jabalpur. Amit Shah specially came to Jabalpur to explain the reasons for taking measures on CAA and NRC. He repeatedly announced that under no circumstances the government is going to change the decision. Shah also launched a frontal attack on the Congress leaders for opposing the CAA by stating that the promise to grant citizenship to refugee was made by none other than Gandhiji and added that his government will not stop till the citizenship is given to every non-Muslim refugee from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. “In July 1947, Mahatma Gandhi had said that the Hindu brothers, who were forced to flee from Pakistan and the ones who stayed back should know that India is ready to welcome and support them whenever they decide to arrive” Shah said.

Talking about Shah’s visit Congress state media vice president Bhupendra Gupta asked Amit Shah why he and his ministerial colleagues were not going to Assam to educate the people who are opposing the CAA. “Shah and others are trying to destabilise the government of Madhya Pradesh and non-BJP states in the name of clearing misconceptions about CAA and NRC” alleged the Congress leader.

“The home minister Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should go to Assam and inform the chief minister there and the protestors about the ‘good CAA and NRC’” said Gupta questioning as to why the people of Assam were opposing the government decision.

While continuing campaign against various mafia the MP government has opened a new front against Gutka king. Madhya Pradesh EOW raided business establishment of prominent pan masala and gutka manufacturers in Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior following complaints of massive tax evasions. Several child labourers were rescued during the operation say officials.

Raids were conducted on factories of some of the top brands in Bhopal at around 4.00 am. Separate teams raided other gutka companies in Indore and Gwalior. EOW had shortlisted these companies immediately after chief minister Kamal Nath ordered a crackdown last week. On January 3 in his first meeting of the year with bureaucrats, CM Nath had said “shudh ke liye yudh is a massive drive that is gathering popularity through public support. But there needs to be action against gutka and paan masala sellers, apart from cartels involved in the manufacture and supply of fake medicines”.

“Anyone indulging in unethical business, jeopardising public health with adulteration or causing loss to the government will be dealt with strongly. We have eyes on all such people,” said EOW DG Sushovasn Banerjee. A member of the raiding party in Bhopal pointed towards the stacks of gutka at a factory and said: “We suspect they supply gutka packs worth Rs. 25 crore a day, far in excess of what they have disclosed in their records. They produce the excess amount at night and by 9 am the next morning, the unaccounted packs are sending off to different destinations. They have 40 labourers only to load packs of gutka pouches in tucks. So you can imagine the amount of gutka that is produced and supplied from this factory alone”. (IPA Service)