Yashodhara Raje

Bhopal, Oct. 20: A vandal broke into BJP MP Yashodhara Raje’s official bungalow in Bhopal and desecrated Scindia family mementoes, leaving the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government with a red face.

The intruder left a note near the family photo album dubbing the Scindias “anti-nationals” for their support to the British Raj in its battle against Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi during the 1857 uprising.

He also vandalised a portrait of the late Vijaya Raje Scindia, deepening the ruling BJP’s embarrassment at a time the party is getting a film made on the Rajmata with actress-MP Hema Malini in the lead role.

Worse, the break-in, which happened on Thursday night, came weeks before the Assembly elections. Yashodhara, who was away during the incident, was not taking calls or answering messages.

The police and state home minister Himmat Kothari played the incident down, calling the intruder a burglar. But officers virtually admitted that the intruder did not steal anything. They said he could not find any valuables, although he broke open an almirah.

Sources said the vandal left a name and an address in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, but the police refused to confirm this officially.

Yashodhara’s sister and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje had faced protests in Indore in April 2006 when she went there to unveil a bust of Laxmibai. The Indore-based Freedom Fighters’ Federation had courted arrest demanding an apology from the Scindias for having “connived with the British”.

Vasundhara had, however, dismissed the allegation and claimed that “as a woman”, she had the highest regard for Laxmibai and considered her a “role model”.

Investigating officer Umesh Tiwari said that on Thursday night, someone sneaked into Yashodhara’s residence from the rear, breaking a lock with a stone. He then entered the bedroom and opened an almirah. A guard raised the alarm but “the burglar fled under cover of darkness”.