Both wives of BJP MLA included in Madhya Pradesh govt's pilgrimage scheme list, claims Cong leader

Rajgarh, Sep 15 (PTI) A Madhya Pradesh Congress leader on Monday said the names of both wives of BJP MLA Hazarilal Dangi have been included in the list of Mukhya Mantri Teerth Darshan Yojana beneficiaries, which is meant for the poor.

Khilchipur MLA Dangi, however, refuted the allegations, while the district administration defended itself by claiming "lots of applications" had come for the yatra.

A group of 179 persons from here will be visiting Kamakhya Devi Temple in Assam under the Mukhya Manti Teerth Darshan Yojana, officials said.

The names of Dangi's wives Jyotsna Dangi (62) and Sardar Bai Dangi (74) have been included in the trip, alleged former MP minister and Congress' Rajgarh district president Priyavrat Singh while making the list public.

It raises questions on transparency of the scheme meant for the poor, added Singh, who lost to Dangi in the 2023 assembly polls.

"Perhaps these people are the poorest in the eyes of the administration. The funny thing is that they have already traveled before!" the Congress leader said in a post on X.

The ruling party MLA, meanwhile, refuted the allegations.

"I have not applied to send my wives on the yatra and neither do I have any information about this matter. I am not sending my wives on this yatra," he reiterated.

Rajgarh Additional Collector Virendra Dangi, in-charge of the yatra, said a lot of applications had come together for the Teerth Darshan Yojana and that the pilgrims have been selected under a fixed procedure.

Beneficiaries have self-declared their income along with the application forms, the official added.

Under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana operated by the state's Religious Trust and Endowments Department, senior citizens who are not income tax payers are allowed to travel on pilgrimages free under certain conditions.

As per the government's website, the definition of senior citizens for men is 60 years of age or above, while in the case of women there is a relaxation of two years. PTI COR MAS BNM