—— Newly Sworn-in CM of Madhya Pradesh places curbs on Loudspeakers at Religious Places, Sale of Meat
—— Known for his communal rhetoric and aggressive Hindutva, Mohan Yadav took oath as chief minister on Wednesday in the presence of Narendra Modi
DM Monitoring
New Delhi: The newly sworn-in chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, has placed curbs on the use of loudspeakers at religious places and the sale of meat in the state.
Yadav was administered the oath of office by governor Mangubhai C. Patel in the presence of a galaxy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday, December 13, Bhopal. With Yadav taking over the reins of the state government, it marked the end of Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s 18-year rule.
Within hours of assuming charge, Yadav presided over his first Cabinet meeting, following which he issued directions to the effect that loudspeakers/DJs, etc., can be used only as per the prescribed norms at any type of religious place or in public places. Known for his communal rhetoric and aggressive Hindutva, Yadav, as the head of the government, issued directives to “ban illegal buying and selling of meat, fish, etc., in the open without licence”, adding that an “intensive campaign will be launched” to this effect, Indian Express reported.
The Cabinet meeting was attended by Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla, who were sworn in alongside Yadav as his deputies. Other ministers of the state cabinet are yet to be announced and sworn in.
On the issue of loudspeakers, the Cabinet decided to form flying squads across all districts to check noise pollution and the illegal use of loudspeakers. These squads will regularly and randomly inspect religious and public places where loudspeakers are used. In the case of violation, authorities have been ordered to investigate the matter within a maximum of three days and submit the report to the administration.
The Cabinet also decided to come up with “food safety rules” to ensure meat shops and shops selling eggs adhere to guidelines, by creating awareness among the public as well as shop owners.
Calling the upcoming consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya “good fortune”, Yadav told the media, after the Cabinet meeting, that the “government will welcome all the Ram devotees in every district, who are en route to the Ram mandir”.
As The Wire had reported earlier, the choice of Yadav as chief minister baffled both party leaders and cadres. The BJP decided to go with Yadav (54), who is relatively unknown outside of Ujjain. The party high command sprang a surprise by ignoring half a dozen other claimants for the post, much senior to Yadav, including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Narendra Singh Tomar, and Prahlad Singh Patel. Except for former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, none said to have had prior information about Yadav’s anointment.
Considered a committed footsoldier of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Yadav has thrived financially and politically by mouthing provocative language against Muslims. His strong pro-Hindutva stance brought him close to the Sangh. The RSS is said to have a major say in his election.
