Madhya Pradesh minister and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has landed in controversy post the deaths of at least 10 people after drinking contaminated water in Indore. When asked by a reporter about the tragedy and why the responsibility was placed on junior officials instead of senior leaders, the politician dismissed the “useless” question. When the reporter probed further, Vijayvargiya resorted to objectionable language. (Photo: FB/Kailash Vijayvargiya)
Vijayvargiya later issued a clarification and expressed regret for the language he used. The politician admitted that his “words came out wrong in response to a media question.” He also stated he and his team have been working around the clock to improve the situation in the affected areas. “But until my people are completely safe and healthy, I will not sit quietly,” the BJP leader added.(Photo: X/@GargiRawat)
However, the minister’s remarks left many people disappointed. An X account going by the handle @LrChoudhary__ called for Vijayvargiya’s resignation after the deaths in Indore and his statement. Shauray Garg, a postgraduate resident in psychiatry at AIIMS Delhi, said that earlier, people like Kailash Vijayvargiya offered an unconditional public apology and resigned in such matters. (Photo: ANI)
Another user, @aratrika_g08, noted the recent scandals in Madhya Pradesh. The account called the state a “hellhole” that was worse than Somalia and wondered why Kailash Vijayvargiya has not resigned yet. Talking about the recent Messi fiasco in Kolkata, where mismanagement led to chaos, the user said that the sports minister of West Bengal had resigned over the matter. (Photo: ANI)
As per a PTI report, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said on Friday, January 2, that he has received information about 10 water contamination-related deaths. While residents claim 14 people, including an infant, have died, the health authorities have not confirmed the number. As for Vijayvargiva, this is the latest in a line of controversial incidents related to the BJP leader. He had earlier attracted criticism for remarks on the alleged molestation of two Australian women cricketers in Indore and his comments on women who wear “skimpy clothes.” (Photo: ANI)
Indian ministers have often resigned in controversies at both the state and central levels. Past resignations include Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal (In pic), who stepped down amid his nephew’s bribery scandal in 2013. Ashwani Kumar, the former Union Minister for Law and Justice of India, tendered his resignation in 2013 after accusations of vetting a CBI graft probe report in the coal block allocation scam. He later told PTI that he had resigned to end any “unnecessary” controversy and dismissed allegations that his decision implied any wrongdoing. (Photo: X/@pawanbansal_chd)
DMK leader A Raja, BJP leader Dilip Singh Judeo and late Congress leader Natwar Singh have all resigned from ministerial posts in the past. Natwar Singh (In pic), who was the former Minister of External Affairs, stepped down over the oil-for-food kickbacks scandal in 2005. Judeo quit after a 2003 video showed him accepting a bribe. A Raja, who was the Telecom Minister in 2010, stepped down after allegations of irregularities in the 2G Spectrum allocation. MJ Akbar left his post as Minister of State for External Affairs due to #MeToo allegations in 2018. (Photo: ANI)
National tragedies have also led to ministers stepping down. In 2008, then-Home Minister Shivraj Patil (In pic) quit in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks. As per Reuters, calls for Patil’s resignation mounted earlier the same year when Indian newspapers photographed him in three different outfits within a few hours after bomb blasts in Delhi killed 23 people. He was also held responsible for a series of security failures. The 26/11 attacks were the final nail in the coffin and the Congress leader’s resignation. (Photo: X/@ShivrajPatilC)
At the state level as well, several ministries have tendered their resignation in the wake of controversies and public anger. The most recent of these was TMC leader Aroop Biswas (In pic), who tendered his resignation as the sports minister after large-scale disorder and vandalism during Messi’s visit to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. Questions were also raised over the security arrangements in the stadium, including how people brought in water bottles. (Photo: FB/Aroop Biswas)
Three BJP leaders in Gujarat- Bachu Khabad, Mukesh Patel and Bhikhu Parmar- were forced to step down in 2025 due to corruption allegations. NCP leader and Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate quit after a court upheld his two-year prison sentence in a three-decade-old housing scam case. (Photo: X/@kokate_manikrao)
The state of Karnataka has also seen several ministers step down due to controversies. BJP’s Laxman Savadi (In pic) and C.C. Patil quit after a row over the 2012 “Porngate” incident, where they were caught watching pornography on their mobile phones in the assembly while proceedings were underway. Another BJP leader, K.S. Eshwarappa, was forced to resign in 2022 after his alleged role in the suicide of a contractor came to light. (Photo: X/@TheNewIndian_in)
These examples highlight how pressure via the opposition and public discourse can often prompt action, leading to accountability by ministers. While Vijayvargiya has not yet commented on the calls for his resignation, the issue of water-contaminated deaths in Indore continues to remain a matter of discussion. (Photo: ANI)
