Raipur MP Brijmohan Agarwal lashes out at Naib Tehsildar over corruption complaints, orders probe

Raipur MP Brijmohan Agarwal confronted Naib Tehsildar Gajanand Sidar publicly during a Susashan Tihar event, demanding a review of pending revenue cases within three days.

Tensions flared at a public grievance redressal camp in the Arang block of Raipur district when senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament Brijmohan Agarwal publicly pulled up a local revenue official over mounting allegations of bribery and procedural delays.

The incident, which took place during a 'Susashan Tihar' (Good Governance Festival) program at the Samoda High School ground on Friday, was captured on video and has since gone viral across social media platforms in Chhattisgarh.

Frustration over pending cases

According to sources familiar with the matter, a large number of villagers had gathered at the venue to submit memorandums and air grievances regarding local administration. However, the mood quickly turned tense when the focus shifted to the functioning of the Samoda sub-tehsil office.

Local residents alleged that routine revenue matters, including land mutations (namantaran), demarcations (seemankan), and property partitions (batwara), had been kept pending for months. Several villagers claimed on the record that lower-level staff routinely demanded bribes to process files.

Public confrontation on stage

Prompted by a stack of written complaints, Agarwal summoned the Naib Tehsildar posted at Samoda, Gajanand Sidar, to the stage. Visible annoyed, the Raipur MP questioned the official’s track record in front of the gathering.

"Should we felicitate you or what? The maximum number of complaints received here are against you," Agarwal was heard saying in the video. In a direct confrontation that drew loud cheers and applause from the crowd, the lawmaker asked the official what he told the public and added, "How much money do you take? How much money have you given to the MP?"

The official, seen standing in a blue shirt, gestured in denial, but the MP continued to press for immediate accountability regarding the pending applications.

District administration ordered to review

Taking serious note of the public resentment, Agarwal turned to senior administrative officers present on the dais, including Additional Collector Kirtiman Singh Rathore and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Abhilasha Paikra.

"The public has the most complaints against the Naib Tehsildar. Check how many cases are pending with him, review them, and resolve them quickly," Agarwal directed the officials. He further instructed the district administration to conduct a formal review of the Samoda tehsil office's functioning and submit a detailed report within three days.

Rising friction in rural camps

The incident highlights growing friction between elected representatives and ground-level revenue staff during the ongoing governance camps. While villagers welcomed the MP’s intervention, stating that direct accountability was long overdue, the aggressive posture of politicians has caused unease within administrative ranks.

This is the second such confrontation reported from the region this month. On May 5, a similar 'Susashan Tihar' camp in the Rajim constituency of Gariaband district saw local BJP MLA Rohit Sahu using harsh language against a village accountant (patwari) over bribery allegations, which subsequently led to a temporary boycott of the government camps by the local Patwari association.

Senior district officials indicated that special desks are being set up to clear the backlog of revenue cases in Arang to prevent further public discontent.