Vijayvargiya’s character building remark sparks controversy in MP:Cong leader Sajjan Verma targets minister personally, says he has “lost balance”

Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has once again courted controversy over a statement made during a programme at Vaishnav University, where he was speaking on children’s character building. An example cited by the minister during his address has drawn sharp political reactions. During the programme, Vijayvargiya said that merely framing a good education policy cannot ensure character building among children. Giving an example, he remarked, If the home environment is such that the father is a PWD minister and a contractor takes the child to buy clothes, then how will character be built? Following this statement, political temperatures rose. The Congress immediately hit back at the minister’s remarks. Former Congress minister and ex-PWD minister Sajjan Singh Verma reacted sharply, saying, Kailash has become Bheru. His father was a mill worker and the son studied abroad. What kind of character will that be? After Verma’s response, the war of words between the ruling party and the opposition intensified. In his address, Vijayvargiya also said that a child spends only four hours in school, while spending nearly 20 hours at home. If the home environment is wrong, school education will have no impact, he said. He suggested that along with children, there should also be a syllabus for parents so that the home environment becomes value-oriented. The minister further stressed the need to focus on patriotism and character building along with education. He said that while discussions often revolve around producing engineers, doctors and professionals, there is little emphasis on creating citizens with strong character and nationalistic values. Vijayvargiya returns after 10-day leave It is noteworthy that Kailash Vijayvargiya has previously remained in the spotlight over several controversial statements. He had recently gone on a 10-day leave, citing the death of a family member, and had shared this information on social media. He has now resumed work and on Thursday also chaired a meeting related to the elevated corridor. Controversial statements by Kailash Vijayvargiya