Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has said that elected public representatives, including MLAs and members of Parliament (MPs), have a higher standing than the chief secretary according to the Union government’s protocol order, and hence the BJP state government will ensure the respect due to them.
In this context, he informed that the Madhya Pradesh government had taken a positive step by issuing necessary directives for ensuring due respect to the elected public representatives. The instructions were framed in accordance with the established protocols during previous governments but their compliance was sometimes neglected knowingly or unknowingly.
“The position of elected representatives, including MLAs and Members of Parliament, is above the chief secretary, as per the protocol rules of the union government,” the CM asserted.
“Fresh directives have now been issued to enforce these arrangements effectively,” he added.
Dr. Yadav emphasized that both tradition and rules mandate due respect for public representatives, and the state government is seriously committed to ensuring strict adherence to these norms.
“Giving due respect to public representatives is not only the tradition but is also mandated by the law, and our government will ensure that,” the CM maintained.
The chief minister’s remarks came a day after the Opposition Congress raised strong objections to a circular issued by Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana, directing all officers in uniform to salute MLAs and MPs while greeting them.
MP Congress Chief Jitu Patwari said on Saturday that the circular issued would deflate the morale of the police. “Such a circular is an attack on democracy and an insult to the uniform,” he averred.
“When the MLAs of the ruling BJP will go to some police station to pressurize the police to patronize various kinds of mafias and anti-social elements close to the MLAs, how would the police work without bias under pressure when the first thing they would do is offer salute to the MLA?” Patwari questioned.
Patwari alleged that the morale of the police in MP is already very low due to undue political pressure and even attacks on the cops reported from several places in the state in recent times. “This decision is totally undemocratic, arrogant, and insulting. It should be taken back immediately,” he demanded.