In yet another brazen display of power, a video showing Madhya Pradesh's ex-minister & BJP legislator Vijay Shah enjoying a "chicken party" in Satpura Tiger Reserve in the Narmadapuram district has gone viral. The video, allegedly shot by Shah, has drawn attention of netizens on X (formerly Twitter), which has led to severe backlash. As a result, an inquiry has been launched into the incident.
Aseem Srivastava, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife, launched the inquiry following a complaint from activist Ajay Dubey, who charged Shah with acting inappropriately inside the reserve and claiming Shah was fed meals there.
Videos that were supplied as proof allegedly show forest guards setting up seats and cooking chicken on an earthen burner. Shah is heard saying that this was the "greatest picnic" in the video. Dubey's complaint also states that Shah was brought to the Rorighat Siddh Baba Hill with forest department officers, where they constructed a fire for cooking—a blatant disregard to the reserve rules, which prohibit fires or parties within the area.
Dubey also alleged that Shah and his group saw a tiger in a prohibited area, and parked close to the animal, underlining how tiger poaching is rampant in the region and calling for prompt action.
There have been requests for strict measures and penalties for those implicated in wildlife protection violations and incidences of tiger hunting within the Satpura Tiger Reserve, which has prompted the investigation.
An official statement in the matter hasn't been issued. The former minister has also refrained from reacting to the development.
