An RSS worker most of his life, Pannalal Shakya was chosen by the BJP as its Guna candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections over supporters of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. (Photo: Pannalal Shakya/ Facebook)
Known for making controversial statements, Pannalal Shakya, the BJP MLA from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, advised students Monday to open “motorcycle puncture repair shops”, since nothing would be gained by obtaining degrees. This, while addressing an event to inaugurate a ‘PM College of Excellence’.
Earlier, at a function held in Indore on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had e-inaugurated similar PM College of Excellences in 55 districts of the state. Following this, separate events were held in the respective districts, including Guna, on Monday. The initiative had been announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav during his first Cabinet meeting, with the state government taking extra measures to ensure the project took off on time.
“We are opening a PM College of Excellence today. I appeal to everyone to keep one sentence in mind — that nothing is going to be achieved with these college degrees. Instead, open a motorcycle puncture repair shop to at least earn a livelihood,” said Shakya.
The MLA also seemed to take a swipe at the mega sapling plantation drive held in Indore on Sunday, during which a world record 11 lakh-plus saplings were planted in a span of 24 hours, a programme overseen by Madhya Pradesh Minister for Urban Development Kailash Vijayvargiya. “People are planting trees, but not interested in watering them,” Shakya said.
When contacted by The Indian Express, the MLA said, “I did not make any statement against anyone. My statement has been taken out of context.”
An RSS worker most of his life, Shakya was chosen by the BJP as its Guna candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections over supporters of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. This came soon after he urged the party to “not give tickets to bikau (sold) leaders”, and to choose a “tikau (loyal)” leader instead.
Before that, Shakya had won the Guna seat on a BJP ticket for the first time in 2013, but lost it to the Congress in 2018.
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The MLA first made it to national headlines in 2017, when he alleged that cricketer Virat Kohli was not patriotic as he did not marry in India. Kohli had tied the knot with Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma in Italy. While inaugurating a skill centre, Shakya had said, “Ram, Krishna, Yudhishtir, all got married in India. All of you have been married in India or will be married in India… He (Kohli) earned fame and money in India, but chose to marry outside… It’s not patriotism.”
A series of statements made by Shakya against women earlier also came under heavy criticism. In 2018, speaking at an event in Guna, Shakya said there was an old couplet which advised that women remain childless rather than give birth to children who are not devoted, charitable or brave. “It is my request – women should not give birth to sons and daughters who bring deformities to society, or spread vices,” Shakya said.
That same year, speaking at a function to distribute smartphones at Girl’s Degree College in Guna, Shakya said crimes against women were rising in the state because “girls had boyfriends”. “Ladkiyan boyfriends kyun banati hain (Why do girls have boyfriends?)… Girls should refrain from this, and then atrocities against them will end too,” he said.
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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