A government order issued by Dewas Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Anand Malviya in Madhya Pradesh has stirred controversy. The order, dated January 3, 2026, and numbered 44/Reader-1/2026, was intended to assign duties to officers for a Congress party protest in Dewas. Shockingly, it included allegations from a Congress memorandum, accusing the BJP-ruled Indore Municipal Corporation of causing 14 deaths and illnesses in 2,800 people due to contaminated water.
The order also criticized Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya for using a derogatory term in response to a journalist’s question on the crisis. It condemned his use of the term “Ghanta” as “inhumane and autocratic.” Additionally, the order referenced Congress state president Jitu Patwari’s call for a protest outside the homes of BJP legislators.
Following the incident, Ujjain Divisional Commissioner Ashish Singh suspended SDM Malviya immediately, citing serious negligence and irregularities. Malviya’s headquarters have been relocated to the Divisional Commissioner’s office in Ujjain during the suspension, with only subsistence allowance provided. Officials attributed the error to portions of the Congress memorandum being mistakenly included in the official document without proper review, leading to disciplinary action.
The controversy arises amidst political tensions over a water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, where sewage mixing with drinking water has resulted in multiple deaths and hospitalizations. Minister Vijayvargiya’s controversial remark on December 31, 2025, triggered statewide protests, demanding his resignation. The government has stressed that such lapses compromising official neutrality will not be tolerated, with no further statements issued by Malviya or the concerned departments at present.
