Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): There will be no celebrations on the Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day on November 1 due to the election Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being in force.
The state government has been celebrating the Foundation Day on a grand scale at Lal Parade Ground in the city on November 1 for the past several years. Music director and playback singer Shanker Mahadevan and his team from Mumbai had performed last year on the Foundation Day.
The Culture Department, however, will not be able to organise the function this time because of the MCC coming into force in the state from October 12. The Department has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking permission to organise the function. The request was routed through a coordination panel headed by the Chief Secretary and the Chief Electoral Officer of the state.
The Department has been forced to cancel or put on hold all the programmes scheduled from the second week of October onwards due to MCC. They include Shaurya Smarak Anniversary (Bhopal, October 14), Sri Ramleela Utsav (Bhopal, Oct 17-23), Shakti Parva (Guna, Maihar, Nalkheda, Burhanpur, Salkanpur, Bhopal, Ujjain Oct 15, 20-22, 21-23), Prakatya Utsav (Ujjain, Oct 15), Thumri Samaroh (Dewas, Oct 15-16), Rupabh Exhibition (Bhopal, Oct 17-22), Smriti Prasang Dr Dharmavir Bharti (Bhopal, Oct 20-22), Ramleela Utsav (Parasia, Chhindwara, Oct 22-24) and Pratimaan (Mhow, Oct 25-26).
“We have sent our proposal. There is very little time left now”
“We have not been exempted from the Election Model Code of Conduct. If that happens, we will think about organising the Foundation Day function. We have sent our proposal. There is very little time left now (for preparations). I don’t think it will be possible to hold the event. As for other cultural events, everything will depend on permission.”
- Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Culture
“No such proposal has been received from Govt”
“To my knowledge, no such proposal has been received from the government. If and when it is received, it will be forwarded to the Election Commission.”
- Anupam Rajan, Chief Electoral Officer, Madhya Pradesh
