A political storm has erupted in Madhya Pradesh after controversial comments made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Pritam Lodhi. As per the information, his alleged abusive and threatening remarks against trainee IPS officer Dr Ayush Jakhad have triggered strong reactions at both the state and national levels. The IPS Association has expressed deep displeasure and the BJP leadership is expected to take strict action against Lodhi.
According to sources, the party's central leadership has conveyed its unhappiness over the MLA's statements. BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal has been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident. Reports suggest that the state leadership too is distressed by Lodhi's conduct.
Show-cause notice issued with three-day deadline
Hemant Khandelwal has issued a show-cause notice to Pritam Lodhi and asked him to explain his behaviour within three days. The notice stated that his conduct is highly objectionable and not in accordance with party discipline. It also warned that failure to provide a proper explanation will lead to disciplinary action.
Viral video shows MLA using harsh words
The controversy escalated after a video featuring Pritam Lodhi went viral. In the clip, he was seen using harsh and confrontational language against Karera SDOP Dr Ayush Jakhad. This incident came after Lodhi's son, Dinesh Lodhi, was accused on April 16 of hitting five pedestrians with his vehicle. The video surfaced on social media following police questioning.
An FIR was lodged against Dinesh Lodhi at the Karera police station, and he was summoned for interrogation. In the viral video, the MLA was heard defending his son and saying that "Karera does not belong to anyone's father". He was also heard claiming that his son will keep visiting Karera and will contest elections from there. Lodhi alleged that the police officer had warned his son not to enter Karera in the future.
Officer associations express strong dissent
The episode has triggered anger among various officer and employee organisations. A day earlier, IPS Association president Chanchal Shekhar stated that public representatives are expected to use restrained language and conduct themselves responsibly. He added that threatening behaviour is unacceptable in a democratic framework. Other employee bodies, including the Ministry Service Officers and Employees Association and the Third Class Government Employees Association, have also condemned the remarks. They said that intimidating officers on duty is inappropriate and harms the morale of the administrative machinery.
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