Government’s Minister of Happiness Wanted for Murder
The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has a Department Of Happiness. Isn’t that nice? They have a whole cabinet department dedicated to the happiness and well-being of their citizens. This is, frankly, an awesome thing that I’m sure can lead to a lot of positive outcomes for the population as a whole. That’s all, I just thought it was neat and you should know about it.
Oh, just one more thing: the Minister Of Happiness, who has overseen the department since it’s inception, is subject to a manhunt because he disappeared a few days ahead of the start of his trial for murder. Yes, the BBC is reporting that Lal Singh Arya is on the lam since a court ordered his arrest in connection with a 2009 murder of a political opponent.
It’s possible that Mr. Arya takes his job really seriously. So seriously that when his opponent was sad, he murdered him to increase the aggregate happiness of the state. that’s my guess, at least.
This can’t get any weirder, right? It gets weirder. According to The New Indian Express, this is apparently the sixth arrest warrant issued for Mr. Arya, who has so far failed to report to court to answer to murder charges. Well, murder, he didn’t kill the guy himself, he was part of a conspiracy to murder him.
The sitting Congress MLA from Gohad seat of Bhind district, Makhanlal Jatav was shot dead while campaigning for the party candidate during the Lok Sabha polls on April 13, 2009 in Bhind district. Based on complaint by the security guard of the slain MLA, a case of murder was lodged against Narayan Sharma, Sher Singh, Mevaram, Sethi Kaurav, Gandharva Singh, Kedar Singh, Tejnarayan Sharma (who is dead now) and Ramrup Singh Gurjar.
However, during the course of trial later in the murder case, the deceased Congress legislator’s son Ranveer Jatav and another key witness in the case stated before the court that it was on behest of Arya (now the BJP MLA from Gohad seat) that the then Congress MLA Makhanlal Jatav was shot dead on April 13, 2009.
Based on statements of the key witnesses, the special court in Bhind directed on August 24 that the MP minister Lal Singh Arya’s be named among the accused.
Indian politics is for real, guys. This is basically the equivalent of Paul Ryan hiring someone to shoot Chuck Schumer and then just going about his business. Indian politics are pretty raucous to begin with, take a look at this video of a thing that actually happened on the floor of India’s legislature.
A fist fight! It’s like a schoolyard, only they let these people make the laws. And they’re closer to universal health care than we are, so maybe they have the right idea.
