BJP MLA who threatened IPS after son’s rampage
“Tell Karera SDOP. If not, then I will bring 10,000 men and put cow dung in your official residence,” he said. “I need a clarification in 15 days. They are saying that I have not provided my support in the case. I need clarification.”
On Wednesday, the Madhya Pradesh BJP issued a notice to Lodhi, demanding that he give an explanation for his “objectionable” behaviour within three days, or face disciplinary action.
Pritam Lodhi, however, is no stranger to controversy. In August 2022, the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit expelled Lodhi—an Other Backward Class (OBC) leader from Shivpuri district and a relative of former chief minister Uma Bharti—for his “anti-Brahmin and anti-women” remarks despite a written apology.
According to his election affidavit, he has nine cases against him. However, police sources said the number is closer to 35, including charges of attempt to murder, murder, and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, and language.
The latest controversy stems from a road accident in Karera district on 16 April, when Dinesh Lodhi, the Pichhore MLA’s son, allegedly hit three people on a motorbike and two women pedestrians with his unnumbered Thar bearing ‘Vidhayak’ on the number plate.
A viral video purportedly showed him blaming the victims for not giving way despite his siren.
The injured and the bystanders confronted Dinesh Lodhi for his “reckless driving”. Videos recorded by those present at the scene showed people telling him that he could have pressed the brakes and controlled the vehicle.
His response? “The vehicle had brakes, but I sounded the siren and horn. But why were the three people on a bike zig-zagging?” He then told the bystanders not to record the video.
Police said they had registered a case against Dinesh Lodhi for rash driving and endangering life or personal safety. A police source said that “there was no pressure when interrogating Dinesh Lodhi, and it was a routine exercise that happens after every case. His son was unapologetic”.
Police said Dinesh has not been arrested, and the only action taken was the removal of the Thar’s hooter.
The Madhya Pradesh BJP’s media head and chief spokesperson Ashish Agarwal told ThePrint, “This incident has come to the party’s notice, and the party has taken cognisance of it.”
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Lodhi vs the IPS block
What began as an accident case has now snowballed into a bureaucratic and political standoff between Pritam Lodhi and the police.
The Madhya Pradesh IPS Association condemned Lodhi’s remarks against Jakhar, a 2022 batch MP cadre officer from Rajasthan who has also studied at AIIMS, New Delhi.
In the video, Pritam Lodhi was also heard making other controversial remarks about the police officer.
“I want to ask the SDOP, ‘Does Karera belong to your ‘daddy?’ Normally, I wouldn’t have said this. But now I want to make it clear. My son will return to Karera, and he will contest the elections. If your ‘daddy’ has the guts, let him try to stop him,” he said.
He went further and openly warned the police officer not to investigate him.
“My fist used to weigh two-and-a-half kg; now it weighs 250 kg,” Lodhi said.
“I also want to remind the SDOP to take a look at our history. If you level false accusations against us, exert undue pressure, or conduct a biased investigation, we will not tolerate it and we will certainly give you a fitting reply. I want to tell such officials, ‘Stay within your limits; stay within your jurisdiction’,” he added.
The IPS association was quick to push back.
IPS officer Chanchal Shekhar, president of the Indian Police Service Association Madhya Pradesh, said in a letter on Tuesday that “the kind of indecent, unruly and threatening language used by Pichhore MLA Shri Pritam Singh Lodhi in the viral video in the media regarding Karaira SDOP Shri Ayush Jakhar is highly condemnable and against the dignity of public life”.
“The derogatory comments and threats made in the video against Dr. Ayush Jakhar, the newly appointed police officer, and his family are completely unruly and indecent. This behavior is contrary to the dignity of a public representative and adversely affects the morale of the administrative system and all officers,” he added.
He said that public representatives were expected to maintain restraint and decorum in their conduct and language, and that such “threatening behavior” was unacceptable in any democratic system and undermined the impartiality of the administrative system.
“The Madhya Pradesh Indian Police Service Association strongly condemns this act and demands appropriate action,” said Shekhar.
Who is Pritam Lodhi?
The BJP MLA from Shivpuri district’s Pichhore assembly constituency is a prominent figure in Madhya Pradesh with an active social media presence.
Pritam Lodhi is often seen photographed with senior BJP leaders such as Madhya Pradesh Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kailash Vijayvargiya, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Pritam Lodhi won the Pichhore seat in 2023, defeating six-time MLA K.P. Singh with a margin of 21,882 votes. According to his election affidavit, he has assets worth Rs 93 lakh.
In 2013 and 2018, the BJP fielded him against the Congress party’s K.P. Singh. He lost both elections by a small margin.
Police sources said on condition of anonymity that while Pritam had around 35 cases against him, his son, Dinesh, had around 15 cases.
In 2023, an FIR was registered against him for allegedly threatening a man. In 2024, he was accused in Gwalior of attempting to run over neighbours with his vehicle, an incident that reportedly led to his arrest and jail time.
There have also been allegations of extortion demands running into crores shortly after the formation of the new government.
Opposition hits out
The Opposition was quick to seize on the controversy.
“It seems like the ‘Standards Department’ in the BJP runs straight from the top… That’s why the MLA is asking the SDOP, ‘If Daddy’s got the guts, go ahead and stop me’,” Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said in a statement.
“Take a look at the equation: The police-administration falls under the Home Department, and the Home Minister is the Chief Minister himself. So, who exactly was this ‘Daddy Test’ for? Is this a question on the capabilities of their own Chief Minister, or just the same old story—protection from above, arrogance from below?” added the Congress leader.
Singhar said that the “pride of power is so extreme” that it poses a direct challenge to the law, criticising the language used as lacking in basic decorum.
“Chief Minister ji, in your reign, is it the rule of law or a competition to show who’s got the chops?” he asked.
Singhar added that such incidents surfaced repeatedly in the state, with family members of BJP public representatives seen openly challenging the law.
“When the influence of power turns into such misuse, it raises serious questions about the functioning of the government and its attitude toward the law. I believe that in such cases, accountability must be fixed, and the concerned public representatives should step forward themselves to accept responsibility on ethical grounds,” he said.
Former Dakshin-Paschim MLA P.C. Sharma told ThePrint, “What happened in the accident, and how it was dealt with, is condemnable. If a politician can threaten people, and then threaten police officers…what is the precedent being set?”
“The BJP claims to be a ‘party with difference’. Is this what the difference stands for? Arrogance? Ramming vehicles into people? Misbehaving with police doing their job? Threatening the police? All of this has been recorded,” he said.
“The BJP needs to conduct an enquiry into this matter. Nobody is above the law. Especially when somebody has so many criminal cases against them.”
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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