Kailash Vijayvargiya's 'ghanta' remark makes it to govt record, official suspended
Kailash Vijayvargiya's 'ghanta' remark makes it to govt record, official suspended
M.U.H
05/01/202638
In a dramatic administrative fallout, a government order in Madhya Pradesh citing a controversial remark by Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has led to the suspension of a senior officer and his assistant.
The controversy erupted after an order issued by Anand Malviya, SDM of Dewas, went viral.
The official document, intended to maintain law and order ahead of Congress-led protests over contaminated drinking water in Indore, did more than outline police deployment and administrative measures. It cited the minister’s infamous “ghanta” remark and repeated allegations from opposition memoranda, turning a routine administrative order into a political flashpoint.
In a dramatic administrative fallout, a government order in Madhya Pradesh citing a controversial remark by Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has led to the suspension of a senior officer and his assistant.
The controversy erupted after an order issued by Anand Malviya, SDM of Dewas, went viral.
The official document, intended to maintain law and order ahead of Congress-led protests over contaminated drinking water in Indore, did more than outline police deployment and administrative measures. It cited the minister’s infamous “ghanta” remark and repeated allegations from opposition memoranda, turning a routine administrative order into a political flashpoint.
Amit Chauhan, Assistant Grade-3 in the SDM office, who drafted and typed the order, was also suspended.
The protests referenced in the order were organised against deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area and Vijayvargiya’s remark to a TV journalist who questioned him about the tragedy.
Vijayvargiya, the state’s Urban Development and Housing Minister, sparked a row on the night of December 31 when he used the word “ghanta” on camera while responding to questions on the water contamination crisis. In common parlance, the term is widely understood to mean “nonsense”, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition and civil society.
Sources said portions of the document were lifted almost verbatim from the Congress submission, a move considered “unacceptable at the highest levels.”
The viral circulation of the order on social media triggered sharp criticism from the opposition, which called it evidence of government bias and politicalisation of the bureaucracy. Even ruling party members reportedly expressed unease over the inclusion of political content in an official document.
Within hours, Ujjain Divisional Commissioner Ashish Singh and Dewas Collector Rituraj Singh acted decisively. Anand Malviya was suspended, and Amit Chauhan was also removed from duty.
Abhishek Sharma has been appointed as the new SDM of Dewas. On taking charge, Sharma held an immediate meeting with officials, emphasising that all future orders must strictly adhere to administrative norms and professional language.
A senior official said, “This action sends a clear message, government documents must remain neutral, professional, and free from political bias. Any lapse will have consequences.”
