Bhopal: State government is looking into the demand of Congress MLA to allow outside meals to Rozedar who are in prison. This comes after MLA Arif Masood on Tuesday threatened to ‘teach government a lesson’ if the demand was not conceded. The home and jail minister Bala Bachchan on Wednesday said that the matter will be discuss with the chief minister and thereafter a decision will be taken. The MLA draw flak from the BJP after his went viral on social media. Attacking the Congress and its MLA, the opposition alleged that they the party has been supporting anti-national outfit SIMI and terrorists.
On Tuesday Masood had met the DG Jail Sanjay Choudhary and demanded that the outdoor food be allowed to the Muslim prisoners inside jails who are observing fast in the month of Ramzan. He had also demanded removal of the DG Choudhary if he failed to address his demand. The facility of outdoor meals was stopped by the previous BJP government when the eight SIMI activists had escaped from Bhopal Central jail in 2017. While talking to media on Wednesday, Masood claimed that he has been regularly raising the issue for last three years. Citing the jail manual, the MLA said that the inmates can have outside food during the festivals and fasts. According to the provisions, either they can deposit the amount in the jail canteen or the family members can provide the meal.
Earlier, some of the social organisations used to organise mass dinner or lunch for the inmates during the Navratri, Ramzan and on other festivals, but the jail administration had stopped citing government orders. Masood said he had requested the former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to give permission of serving outside food during Navratri as well as Ramzan, but no decision was taken.He also accused the BJP of twisting his statements saying, “I had never ever support such organisations which are involved in anti-national activities and importantly we the Congressmen do not order the CM, there is practice in BJP to order their CM”.