A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district was suspended on Sunday for alleged misconduct and indiscipline. The suspension came shortly after he granted permission to the Congress party for a public protest. The protest was planned in response to what the official order acknowledged as an "indecent comment" made by minister Kailash Vijayvargiya regarding "14 water-contamination deaths" in Indore.

The Ujjain divisional commissioner, Asheesh Singh, issued the suspension order against SDM Anand Malviya, citing "dereliction of duty in signing an order without properly vetting it". During his suspension, Malviya will be stationed at the divisional commissioner’s office in Ujjain.

The order that triggered the suspension was in response to a request from the Dewas district Congress unit to organize a rally protesting the water contamination tragedy. The order also mentioned that the Congress state leadership, including party president Jitu Patwari, had decided to protest in front of the homes of BJP MPs and MLAs. Commissioner Singh stated that the SDM failed to verify the death toll or the nature of the problem before including Congress' claims in a government order.

Malviya reportedly stated that parts of the order were taken from a Congress WhatsApp group calling for protests. He added that while the health data cited came from official sources, errors were noticed soon after the order was issued. Although the order was withdrawn and replaced, the initial version had already spread online.

The Dewas Collector's office had proposed the suspension, pointing out that the order was procedurally flawed and factually inaccurate. The Commissioner noted that issuing such an order without proper examination constituted serious negligence and misconduct under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services rules.

The controversy arose after a video of Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya went viral, in which he used the word "Ghanta" in response to a journalist's question. The SDM's order mentioned this remark, leading to accusations of using political language in an official document. The order also referenced the deaths allegedly caused by contaminated drinking water in Indore, further fueling the political tensions between the BJP and Congress.

Following the suspension, Abhishek Sharma has been appointed as the new SDM of Dewas. The new SDM has clarified that all future orders will be issued in accordance with administrative language and rules. The incident is viewed as a strict message against negligence in government documents and the use of political material.