Pushyamitra Bhargava is in the spotlight for directing all malls and shops in the city to install replicas of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. (Photo: PTI)
Promising to bring in corporate culture to the municipal corporation, Pushyamitra Bhargava left his high-profile legal career to become the mayor of Indore in 2022. Now, he is in the spotlight for directing all malls and shops in the city to install replicas of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and issuing a warning that residents “know how to respond to those who fail to cooperate”.
He wrote to all shopkeepers and mall administrations two weeks ago, telling them to install the replicas between January 15 and January 22 – the date of the Ram Temple’s consecration.
On Monday, Bhargava said, “I want to tell these people that if Santa Claus and Christmas trees can be installed from December 25 to January 2, and you have no objection to that, then no one should have any objection to installing a replica of the Ram Mandir.”
“If some do not cooperate… without any reason, then the people of Indore know how to respond to them. This is the work of Ram. It is work for Ram Rajya. I don’t think anyone should have any objection to this,” he said.
Bhargava did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment.
Before joining politics, Bhargava served as the youngest additional advocate general of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
Born and raised in Indore, he holds an M.Phil degree and an LL.M in law from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, School of Law, Indore, where he also completed his undergraduate degree in law. He has a diploma in cyber law from Government Law College, Mumbai, and a certificate course in journalism and mass communication from Allahabad University. During his student days, he was active in the ABVP, the BJP’s student wing.
Bhargava began his legal career as a trainee lawyer under senior advocate Piyush Mathur, a former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. He rose to become the youngest deputy advocate general of the state from 2015 to 2018, and has represented the government in several high-profile cases, including a petition against the stoppage of medical oxygen supply by Maharashtra during the Covid-19 pandemic, the PIL seeking direct elections to the students’ unions in Madhya Pradesh, and the case against a web series, XXX: Uncensored, produced by Ekta Kapoor for allegedly insulting the Indian Army.
Bhargava also organised and participated in various events and campaigns to “clear the doubts and garner support for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)” in 2020. He also led a “Lawyers for Modi” campaign to support the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
He has also formed his own youth organisation, called Sanghmitra, which aims to “connect the youth of the country with the ideology of patriotism, national service, and national welfare”.
In the 2022 mayoral elections, Bhargava defeated the Congress candidate by a margin of 1,32,956 votes. His victory marked a significant milestone as he became the BJP’s youngest mayor in Indore.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
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