MP govt razes ‘encroached’ parts of BJP MLA’s resort, Oppn party calls on Governor

This came days after the Jabalpur administration shut down a mine owned by Pathak’s family.

A former Congress MLA, Pathak joined BJP in 2014. He won a by-election and became a minister in the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had accused Chouhan, Pathak and three others of indulging in horse-trading in a bid to topple the Kamal Nath government.

Umaria collector Swarochish Somvanshi told The Sunday Express that Pathak’s resort was among 11 properties served notices by the tehsildar to remove their respective encroachments on government land. He said Pathak neither removed the encroachment nor appealed against the notices in court.

On Saturday, the district administration removed a watchtower, a guardroom and a boundary wall built as part of Syna Resorts on nearly 2 hectares of allegedly encroached land. The Pathak family owns nearly 17 hectares near the BTR. The encroached portion was bigger than the 5.44-acre plot on which the resort is constructed. The administration alleged that the resort’s gate blocks a river’s flow.

Collector Somvanshi said encroachment from one more resort was removed and the drive against the others will continue. He said the crackdown began with the MLA’s resort because it involves the largest encroachment.

Pathak, however, told the media in Bhopal that the family had appealed against the tehsildar’s order and requested for the land to be measured. He claimed his family members went to the sub-divisional magistrate thrice but were not given audience. He said his family will move the court, and reiterated that he will remain with the BJP.

Pathak also alleged that his life was in danger on Friday – that a few cars had chased his vehicle from the Bhopal airport.

Dismissing Pathak’s claim about an attempt on his life as “ridiculous”, CM Nath’s media coordinator Narendra Saluja said he is making baseless allegations only to be taken seriously by BJP leaders because there is a cloud of uncertainty over his association with the saffron party.

Pathak denied that he was involved in a bid to topple the Congress government, and alleged that the ruling party is putting pressure on him to switch loyalty or face more action.

BJP MLA Arvind Bhadoriya, who the Congress alleged had taken four MLAs to Bengaluru from a Gurgaon hotel, on Saturday claimed that his brother had been called to a police station in Bhind and harassed. “The Kamal Nath government has resorted to low-level politics never seen in state politics before,’’ he said.

Independent MLA meets CM, says supports Cong

Independent MLA Surendra Singh Shera on Saturday met Chief Minister Kamal Nath and said he had not been taken to Karnataka against his wish. He said he went there to attend a family emergency. Before meeting Nath, the Burhanpur MLA told the media that he would become a minister before Holi. After the meeting, he said he would definitely be made a minister but did not give a time. He said he would continue to support the Congress.

There was no word on whereabouts of Congress MLAs Hardeep Dang, Raghuraj Kansana and Bisahulal Singh.