The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government accorded Minister of State (MoS) status to five spiritual leaders in Madhya Pradesh. The leaders are Computer Baba, Bhaiyyuji Maharaj, Narmadanandji, Hariharanandji and Pt Yogendra Mahant. The Madhya Pradesh government, before making these five people the MoS, appointed them in a committee that will create awareness about tree plantation, water conservation and cleanliness along the Narmada.
“It’s a gimmick to score political points. He ignored conservation of the Narmada. These saints should inspect where the state government has planted six crore saplings as claimed by the CM,” said Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi, reported The Indian Express.
Computer Baba
As bizarre as it may sound, Computer Baba is real. Swami Namdev Tyagi, who is popularly called Computer Baba is a man who claims to have a brain as fast as a computer and a brilliant memory. His hands are always on a laptop and he can always be seen busy with latest technologies, be it tablets, phones or a helicopter. He has his own helicopter which created quite a buzz in 2013 when he asked Kumbh Mela authorities to allow him to arrive in a helicopter and take a dip in the river.
What is suspicious is that earlier he declared to launch a 15-day “Narmada scam Yatra” along the bank of river Narmada in the state. Although he never went through with the yatra and did not give a reason why. “We thank the govt on behalf of the ‘sadhu’ community for showing trust in us, we will try our best to work for the welfare of the society,” ANI quoted him as saying.
Bhaiyyuji Maharaj
Udaysingh Deshmukh also known as Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is the son of a zamindar and a former model. He leads an elegant lifestyle with a white Mercedes SUV and operates from a sprawling ashram at Indore. He has a flock of followers and is quite known among businessmen and politicians who often go to him for spiritual advice.
According to his website, Yuva Rastra Saint Shri Sadguru Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is mentioned as a spiritual leader, social reformer and motivator, whose sole aim is to bring happiness on the faces of countless poor and downtrodden people, lift them from morass of despair, poverty, social inequality and enable them to live a life of dignity.
Hariharanandji
He was among the core group of people who led Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra – the world’s largest river conservation campaign. Started on 11 December 2016, the yatra concluded on 11 May 2017.
Pt Yogendra Mahant
Pandit Yogendra Mahant has been very vocal against the ruling government and has rath yatra from May 1 to May 15 in 45 districts over the Narmada scam. Mahant said the yatra would expose the state government for spending crores of rupees for plantation in the name of Narmada hariyali project.
Opposition leaders are of the opinion that granting him MoS status is a ploy by the government to shut dissenting voices.
Narmadanandji
He is a spiritual guru in Madhya Pradesh and associated with the Hanuman Janmotsava Samiti and Sanatan Dharma Mahasabha.
