Power struggle on at Bhopal’s Bharat Bhavan

While Mishra had tendered his resignation Sinha did not, because he thought the Government would act unfairly by accepting only his resignation. For the record he said the Government had no right to ask for his resignation because Bharat Bhavan was an autonomous body. “Bharat Bhavan’s autonomy is under threat,” said Sinha. He gave a clean chit to the Chief Minister but was silent on Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma to whom he has addressed several letters against Mishra. Sinha said he was not too keen to continue, but did not want to go in this fashion.

On Friday, both claimed majority support in the 12-member Trust, which also has actress Hema Malini as a member, and said they would bring a no confidence motion against each other to settle the issue.

Sinha has openly questioned Mishra’s integrity and accused him of running the Trust in violation of the Constitution. He claimed that seven members had signed a letter addressed to the Chief Minister demanding that Mishra be removed immediately because they had no faith in him. Sinha also said the trustee secretary was bringing a disrepute to Bharat Bhavan by his behaviour.

Mishra had called a meeting on September 1 but cancelled it at the last moment. In the last six months the trust has not even met once and both men put the blame at each other for not allowing the Trust members to hold a meeting. They are also known to interpret the Trust deed in a way that suits them and say they enjoy more power than their rival. Mishra told The Indian Express that he was against Sinha because of latter’s position on Mahatma Gandhi as being a political agent of the British. He said Sinha’s knowledge of history is questionable and his stature is very low.

While Mishra is based in Bhopal, Sinha, a former bureaucrat in the Uttar Pradesh Government, operates from Delhi. In the past, IAS officers used to hold the post of Trustee Secretary but the Government changed the tradition by appointing litterateur Mishra, a few months ago.

The conflict between them came to the fore for the first time when Mishra appointed four directors to head the arts, literature, music and theatre wings without Sinha’s knowledge. Sinha said he had then kept quiet because writer Taslima Nasrin’s visit was due.