A viral video purportedly shows Municipal Corporation personnel using a fire brigade vehicle to wash BJP MLA Ramniwas Shah’s Toyota Innova outside his government residence in Singrauli.
Shah said he was away when the incident occurred and claimed he did not know why the fire tender was at his residence.
Congress leader Umang Singhar accused the MLA of misusing government resources, while the Municipal Commissioner said she was unaware of the incident.
A political controversy erupted on Tuesday morning after a viral video showed a fire brigade vehicle washing Singrauli BJP MLA Ramniwas Shah's Toyota Innova. Three Municipal Corporation personnel were filmed spraying water on the vehicle outside the lawmaker's government residence.
The visuals prompted widespread criticism on social media regarding the alleged diversion of emergency equipment for a politician's personal use. Responding to initial questions regarding the footage, Shah deflected responsibility. "Does an MLA wash his own vehicle?" he said. Meanwhile, Singrauli Municipal Corporation Commissioner Savita Pradhan told NDTV that she was unaware of the incident.
Opposition Demands Accountability
Congress leaders quickly condemned the alleged misuse of emergency services. Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar publicly attacked the BJP MLA and demanded accountability for deploying public resources for personal tasks.
"When needed, fire brigades fail to reach ordinary people's homes to extinguish fires, but here in Singrauli, the BJP MLA has turned a fire brigade into his private washing centre," Singhar said. In response, Shah attacked the Congress, questioning its political standing in Singrauli.
MLA Defends His Absence
Shah maintained he was not present when the incident occurred and therefore could not account for the situation. In remarks to NDTV, he said his schedule on the day of the incident involved returning from Bhopal before attending a school cycle distribution programme, BP Mandal's birth anniversary events and a peace committee meeting. He said he merely requested his transport. "I told the driver to come quickly. I was not there, so what would I know?" Shah said.
The lawmaker instead suggested the fire tender might have been deployed to supply water to the upper floors of civic officials' residences following a local supply issue.
"Who called the vehicle there and why it was standing there should be known to the Municipal Corporation," he said. Refusing to clarify whether using emergency equipment for washing cars was justified, he shifted responsibility entirely. "Ask the driver what happened," he said.
