Red faces in Madhya Pradesh BJP after tribal icon Tantya Mama’s statue made using ‘cheap’ fibreglass

Sources in the Khargone administration said the tender specifications clearly called for a statue made of metal or marble stone, but instead a fibre statue allegedly costing less than Rs 1 lakh was installed at the site.

Ravi Joshi, former Congress MLA from Khargone, condemned what he described as both corruption and disrespect toward a figure held in deep reverence.

“Tantya Mama is an idol of all of us. There is corruption in installing his statue. The municipal council had issued a tender of about Rs 10 lakh for the statue that was to be installed. The metal or marble stone that was supposed to be used was not installed. A plastic statue was put up there instead, which the contractor bought for just Rs 50,000,” he said.

The allegations came to light only after the district Congress committee filed a formal complaint with the Khargone collector, prompting municipal authorities to acknowledge the problem.

Chaya Joshi, the president of the Khargone Municipal Council, defended the administration’s response while acknowledging the contractor’s error.

“The contractor has accepted the mistake, submitted an apology letter, and expressed regret over hurting sentiments. Following this, the PIC meeting decided that a new statue will be installed,” she explained. She confirmed that the tender process had been followed but said the problem arose because of the contractor’s actions.

“Whatever statue was installed, it is the contractor’s mistake that he installed a fibre statue, and we have blacklisted the contractor,” she said.

When pressed on why physical verification of the statue was not conducted before installation, the municipal president said the timing left little room for inspection.

“Look, the statue arrived at night and it was completely covered. You know very well that the next day was Tantya Mama’s Pride Day, and it was necessary for us to install the statue,” she said.

According to local municipal corporation sources, the Khargone Municipal Council approved beautification work worth an estimated Rs 40 lakh on September 24, 2025, which included the statue installation. A tender worth Rs 9.90 lakh was issued specifically for purchasing the statue, with explicit instructions from the collector that it must be made of stone or metal.

Congress representatives have demanded more comprehensive action beyond punishing the contractor alone. Joshi alleged that officials and engineers who approved the statue installation without proper verification should also face criminal charges. He accused authorities of attempting damage control through paperwork rather than addressing systemic corruption.

The Tantya Mama controversy holds particular significance in Madhya Pradesh’s political landscape, where tribal communities constitute a substantial voting bloc. Tantya Mama, revered for his resistance to British oppression and championing of the poor during colonial times, has become a powerful symbol in the state’s tribal politics. Both the BJP and the Indian National Congress have historically invoked his legacy to connect with tribal voters, making any perceived disrespect toward his memory a politically sensitive issue. For the BJP, which currently governs Madhya Pradesh, maintaining strong ties with tribal communities is crucial to electoral success in a state where indigenous populations play a decisive role in many constituencies.

Tribals constitute 21 percent of Madhya Pradesh’s population, the highest in the country. Tantya Bhil belonged to the Bhil community, which alone accounts for about 40 percent of the state’s 1.53 crore tribal population.