Shivraj Singh Chouhan takes on MP Government over tribal home demolitions

Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the destruction of the families’ homes as the crushing of years of hard work by poor tribal farmers. (Express Photo)

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Sunday publicly confronted the Madhya Pradesh Government over the demolition of tribal families’ houses in a village in Sehore district, questioning why people who had voted for the BJP in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections had been targeted.

The demolition reportedly affected 12 families belonging to the Barela tribal community in Kosmi village in Budhni, Chouhan’s former Assembly constituency. Their crops were also damaged, and a well was filled with soil.

The Forest Department said it undertook the operation to remove alleged encroachments.

“This is a conspiracy by some officials to malign the party. We win because of their votes, and Mohan ji became chief minister because of their votes. This is truly very painful for me,” Chouhan said.

Chouhan, who represented Budhni for several terms, said he would inform Yadav about the families’ distress, the destruction of their crops, and the demolition’s impact on their future.

“I will tell the chief minister about this injustice, their sobs, the tears in their eyes, their crushed fields and their ruined future. This seems to me to be a conspiracy to malign the chief minister as well,” he said.

Chouhan described the destruction of the families’ homes as the crushing of years of hard work by poor tribal farmers. He said JCB machines demolished their houses, and broken roof tiles lay over the remains of their belongings.

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“Their dreams have been crushed, their hard work destroyed, and they have been rendered homeless,” he said, accusing Forest Department officials of the “height of oppression and injustice”.

He questioned whether the officials would accept similar treatment of their own children, mothers, and wives.

Congress questions ‘internal power struggle’

The incident drew a response from the Congress, with Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Umang Singhar alleging that tribal families were bearing the consequences of friction within the BJP Government.

“Mohan Yadav ji, when your own former chief minister is raising questions, you too must clarify when the government will take concrete steps. Is the internal power struggle within the government overshadowing even questions of public interest?” Singhar said.

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This is not the first time Chouhan has publicly intervened in a dispute involving tribal residents and forest officials under the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Yadav.

In June 2025, he intervened over action against tribal residents in the Khivni Wildlife Sanctuary area in Sehore district. Following that intervention, the state government ordered the transfer of the divisional forest officer and directed that similar action not be undertaken during the monsoon.

More recently, in July 2026, Chouhan publicly challenged the Madhya Pradesh Government’s account of the moong procurement crisis, writing to Yadav after state Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana sought an increase in the quantity approved for procurement under the Centre’s Price Support Scheme.

Chouhan argued that the state had already received approval to procure up to 4.54 lakh metric tonnes of moong and that the immediate problem was the pace of procurement. The exchange came as farmers protested over the failure to procure their produce.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More