Indore water deaths, viral 'ghanta' remark: Kailash Vijayvargiya’s latest row, and his long trail of controversies

‘Ghanta’ remark on camera as Indore contamination toll rises

• Indore water contamination kills 7, 100+ hospitalized; sewage mixed with supply.
• Minister Vijayvargiya faces backlash for dismissive remarks on the crisis
• Incident sparks debate on accountability and civic infrastructure failures

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A deadly drinking-water contamination episode in Indore has now become a political flashpoint, after senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya was caught on camera using dismissive, slang language while responding to questions on the incident.

The contamination has left at least seven people dead and more than a hundred hospitalised, according to the information shared in the administration’s account cited in the report. The triggering factor, officials say, was a toilet built directly above a main drinking-water pipeline near a police outpost in Indore-1, allegedly without a mandatory safety tank, allowing sewage to mix with potable water.

What happened on camera

As journalists questioned Vijayvargiya about the contamination, he snapped at a reporter, calling the query 'worthless (fokat).' When the reporter persisted, the minister used the word 'ghanta' on video, a slang term commonly used to dismiss something as 'nonsense' or 'rubbish.' The clip has since gone viral, with the journalist also heard asking the minister to maintain decorum.

Vijayvargiya holds key portfolios in the Mohan Yadav government, including Urban Development, Housing, and Parliamentary Affair, positions that heighten scrutiny when a civic failure turns fatal.

Why this row is bigger than one word

The flashpoint isn’t only the language. It’s the collision of three things:

• A public health incident with deaths and mass hospitalisation
• A constituency-level infrastructure lapse tied to drinking-water safety
• A senior minister’s public posture when asked to explain accountability

In a crisis like this, voters tend to listen less to slogans and more to answers: what failed, who signed off, what action follows, and how fast clean water reaches households again.

The controversy list: Vijayvargiya’s past rows, in brief

The latest episode lands on a familiar pattern for the BJP leader. who has repeatedly faced backlash for remarks seen as insensitive, sexist, or politically inflammatory.

1) October 2025: Comments on molestation of Australian women cricketers in Indore: He drew criticism after suggesting the players should have informed authorities before stepping out and called the incident a 'lesson' for officials and the cricketers.

2) September (last year): ‘Kisses his sister in public’ remark aimed at Opposition leader: In an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi, Vijayvargiya said the Leader of Opposition 'lacks culture' because he 'kisses his sister in public,' triggering a Congress backlash and demands for an apology.

3) August (last year): Called 1947 Independence a ‘kati-fati’ freedom: At an Independence Day event in Indore, he described freedom as 'fragmented,' spoke of 'Akhand Bharat,' and claimed a day would come when the Tricolour would be hoisted in Islamabad.

4) April 2023: ‘Shurpanakha’ remark on women’s clothing: At a religious event, he said girls wearing 'bad or skimpy clothes' resemble Shurpanakha, inviting outrage.

5) June 2025: Renewed attack on 'skimpy clothes,' contrasted India vs abroad: He criticised women wearing 'less clothing' as a foreign idea of beauty, while also saying he views women as a 'form of a goddess.'

6) June 2019–September 2024: Son Akash’s bat assault case and political fallout: His son Akash Vijayvargiya was arrested in 2019 after being accused of hitting an Indore Municipal Corporation officer with a bat during an anti-encroachment drive; the viral video put the BJP under pressure. In 2023, Akash was not fielded from Indore-3 and his father contested instead. Akash was exonerated in September 2024 after the official told the court he could not confirm who hit him and could not vouch for the authenticity of the photos/videos, according to the report.