Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya courts fresh controversy over objectionable remark to reporter in Indore
Indore: Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has once again landed in controversy after making an objectionable remark in front of the media while responding to questions about a contaminated drinking water incident in Indore.
The incident occurred in the Bhagirathpura area, which falls under his Indore-1 assembly constituency. According to official health department reports, four people have died so far after consuming contaminated drinking water in the locality, while 212 residents were hospitalised with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Of these, around 50 patients have reportedly recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The situation has triggered widespread concern among residents, with families of victims demanding accountability and immediate relief.
During a media interaction, a reporter questioned the minister about the delay in providing compensation to families who had lost their relatives and those undergoing treatment.
Visibly losing his temper, Vijayvargiya dismissed the question as irrelevant and used an objectionable and derogatory phrase on camera, asking the reporter, “Tu kya ghanta hoke aaya hai?” His remark immediately drew sharp reactions from the journalist present at the scene.
The reporter strongly objected to the language used by the minister and retorted, “Kailash ji, baat theek se kijiye… yeh kya shabd hota hai?” The verbal exchange between the minister and the reporter was captured on video and soon went viral on social media, triggering public outrage.
Many users criticised the minister for using offensive language despite holding a responsible constitutional position. As criticism intensified, Vijayvargiya took to social media platform X to issue an apology for his conduct.
In his post, he stated that he and his team had been working tirelessly over the past two days to address the problems caused by contaminated drinking water. “My people are suffering due to polluted water and we have lost some lives. In this painful situation, I made a mistake while responding to a media question. I sincerely apologise for it,” he wrote.
Despite the apology, the controversy has escalated politically. The opposition Congress has accused the minister of arrogance and insensitivity towards affected families. Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari shared a video on social media claiming that the death toll in Indore due to contaminated water had risen from eight to ten, intensifying pressure on the state government.
The Congress has demanded Vijayvargiya’s resignation, arguing that his behaviour reflects a lack of accountability and empathy. Opposition leaders have also urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to take immediate action against the minister to send a strong message on responsible public conduct.
The incident has once again raised questions about ministerial accountability, crisis management, and the manner in which elected representatives engage with the media during public health emergencies.
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