BJP MLA feels unsafe in his own constituency

Bhopal: A month after a tense land dispute rocked Mauganj, BJP MLA Pradeep Patel is still away from his constituency, choosing the relative calm of Bhopal over a return home, a move that has set tongues wagging locally.Patel has not been seen in Mauganj since he visited a disputed land site last month, where rival groups clashed and he was allegedly manhandled. Since then, the MLA has been operating from the state capital. "Yes, and as I am in Bhopal and not moving much, it is okay here. Once the issues related to the dispute at Mauganj settle, I will return," Patel told TOI. Asked about reports of threats and whispers of a so-called "Moosa gang", Patel sidestepped the issue, saying police were better placed to comment, while admitting there were "some issues". He said he had written to senior authorities and met the chief minister, and continues to assist constituents who travel to Bhopal for work or medical needs.Police, however, denied receiving any formal complaint. "No complaint was made with police about him getting threats by the MLA or his kin. As far as Moosa gang is concerned, there is no such gang here," a senior police official told TOI, adding that only a past diary entry mentioned some people loosely referring to themselves by that name.Controversies around Patel are not new, with the MLA landing in the middle of high-voltage local disputes in the past as well. His political career has seen similar flashpoints before. Two years ago, his presence at an alleged encroachment site near a religious place sparked clashes, stone-pelting and prohibitory orders. For now, the MLA remains in Bhopal, while Mauganj waits for its legislator's return.