Bhopal- Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has alleged that state authorities prevented him from unveiling a statue of legendary tribal freedom fighter Tantya Mama in Guna district's Raghogarh area.

Singh said he was scheduled to unveil the statue in Pipaliya village, a predominantly Bhil tribal community, on March 3. However, he discovered that local administration officials had barricaded the area before the planned ceremony.

When Singh contacted the Raghogarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Guna District Collector about the situation, he was informed that the installation lacked the required no objection certificate (NOC) from state authorities.

In a video statement released Sunday, Singh explained that the statue had been funded by local tribal residents who collected money to honor their revered historical figure. "The statue was installed after obtaining an NOC from the Pipliya gram panchayat. Both the Guna district administration and Raghogarh district administration were informed about the development," Singh stated.

According to Singh, district officials visited the site on March 1 and cordoned off the area. He expressed shock at this action and requested the administration to provide specific guidelines regarding statue installation requirements.

Singh noted that officials cited Supreme Court and Madhya Pradesh High Court rulings that prohibit installing statues or construction on public roads, sidewalks, and utility spaces. In response, he requested any post-2013 state guidelines on the matter, promising to comply once provided.

The Congress leader characterized the blocking of the statue unveiling as "an insult to Tantya Mama and the tribal community" and warned that the Congress party would protest if necessary.