Why did the relations between Rajmata Vijayraje and son Madhavrao Scindia get sour?

Talking about the dynasty in Indian democracy, after the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, many other dynasties such as Mulayam and Lalu, Pilot, Karunanidhi and Abdullah Gharana in Kashmir have become a part of Indian politics.

One of these is the Scindia Gharana of Gwalior, whose member has been a member of the Indian Parliament or Legislative Assembly from 1957 till now, whereas from 1991 to 1996, there has been a period of five years when a member of the Nehru dynasty was not a member of the Indian Parliament.

Madhavrao’s mother and Gwalior’s Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia started her political career with the Congress party. After this she first took membership of the Swatantra Party and then became one of the founders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

His son Madhavrao Scindia won the elections in 1971 with the support of Jana Sangh, but by 1979 he joined the Congress.

Initially there was a good relationship between mother and son

Recently, a book by well-known political analyst Rashid Kidwai has been published ‘The House of Scindias – A Saga of Power, Politics and Intrigue’ in which he has thrown light on the members of the Scindia family and their relationships.

Rashid Kidwai says, “There was a time that the relationship between Rajmata and her son Madhavrao Scindia was so strong that Madhavrao used to discuss even his female friends with his mother.”

Queen Vijayraje Scindia writes in her autobiography ‘Princess’, “Bhaiyya (Madhavrao Scindia) and I were like friends. One night he came to my hotel room and lay down on the carpet. He felt lonely. He He kept talking to me till two o’clock in the night. He was so open to me that he used to mention even his female friends to me.

Scindia accused of leaving mother’s side

But what happened in the end that the relationship between mother and son kept getting sour and they kept moving away from each other.

NK Singh is a well known journalist. In his article ‘Domestic Battle Between Vijayaraje and Madhavrao Scindia’ in India Today’s 30 September 1991 issue, he wrote, “Madhavrao Scindia told me that his and Rajmata’s relationship had started to deteriorate from 1972, when he met his mother. The party wanted to leave the Jana Sangh and join the Congress. Madhavrao had admitted that it was a big mistake for him to join the Jana Sangh after returning from Oxford.

But in the same article, NK Singh further wrote that “Sardar Angre’s opinion was different. He was called Rajmata ‘Bal’ and others ‘Baldi’. He believed that Madhavrao left his mother because of fear. Jana Sangh had lost the 1972 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.”

Madhavrao disliked the influence of Sardar Angre

Madhavrao Scindia did not like the influence of Sardar Angre on his mother. He also objected to the fact that the money of the Scindia family was being spent in politics in a haphazard manner.

Rashid Kidwai writes, “If the close friends of Madhavrao Rao are to be believed, the young Maharaj was very shocked by the fact that the money and jewelery were disappearing from the Jaivilas Rajmahal. It is said that the Scindia family had gold and silver. And there were wells full of gems. Madhavrao was surprised to see that these wells were slowly getting empty.”

In the eyes of Madhavrao, his mother’s business thinking was negligible. In his view, Rajmata had sold the properties of the Scindia family in Mumbai and elsewhere at a throwaway price far below the market value.

In the biography of Madhavrao Scindia, Veer Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare write, “It was claimed that Angre was involved in these deals and that he allegedly received commission. Rajmata also received some money from the sale of these properties. for her services. Gradually, Angre went on to bring bitterness in the relationship between Vijayraje and his son.”

Madhavi Raje was responsible for the deteriorating relations in the eyes of Rajmata

Talking to India Today correspondent NK Singh, Madhavrao Scindia had called his mother a dominating woman.

NK Singh wrote in his article, “Madhavrao told me that Rajmata was doing emotional blackmail to keep him in the party. Sardar Angre has a strange influence on him. Once he even told me that Should have been crushed under the feet of the elephant. Now that she is living separately, there is a lot of peace in the family.”

On the other hand, Rajmata, while talking to NK Singh, had held Madhaviraje, the wife of Madhavrao Scindia, responsible for causing a rift in the relationship between mother and son.

NK Singh wrote, “Rajmata told me that at one time Madhavrao had no hesitation in even lifting my shoes in front of everyone, but his wife could not tolerate my closeness to him.” NK Singh says, “When I was talking to Rajmata, Sardar Angre was also present there. He said in the middle that Rajmata is blaming all the blame on her daughter-in-law like a mother. What Madhavrao said to Rajmata the most. What felt bad was that Madhavrao had fled to Nepal during the emergency when she was in jail. This shocked her a lot.”

Rajmata chose Angre

Despite strong opposition from Madhavrao Scindia, Rajmata never separated Sardar Angre from her life.

She wrote in her autobiography, “As a close relative and friend of my husband, Bal Angre made himself indispensable to my family. He and I had a lot in common in our political views and our views on Hinduism. Our interests became his interests to such an extent that he became our financial advisor whose integrity and trust I had no doubt about. Without his advice, no decision is taken in our family.”

Veer Sanghvi writes in the biography of Madhavrao Scindia, “Madhavrao had told his mother – Amma this cannot continue. You have to choose between me and Angre. On this Rajmata said without any difficulty that she was Angre. Can’t leave it.”

“He has supported me in the most difficult times. Madhavrao had asked in response that you will not leave Angre even if your only son gets away from you. On this the Rajmata did not give any answer and Madhavrao left the room in anger due to this.

Rajmata’s fast over Shivling

One of the reasons for the altercation between Madhavrao and Rajmata was a small Shivling of the emerald.

Rashid Qidwai explains, “This was the family Shivling of the Scindia family. It was kept in the worship performed by every Maharaja. It is said that when the Gwalior army went on a military campaign, Mahadji Scindia (Ranoji who started the Scindia dynasty) Rao Scindia’s fifth and youngest son) always kept it under his crown, due to which he would win the battle.

“There was no account of the value of that Shivling, but it was always a sign of good fortune for the Scindia family. When there was a rift between Rajmata and Madhavrao, Rajmata asked for the Shivling back from them. Madhavrao’s wife Madhavi clarified that The ritual worship of the Scindia family is considered auspicious only when performed by a married woman. This greatly hurt the Rajmata. She announced that she would fast unto death until the Shivling was handed over to her. Madhavrao was upset. Had to ask his wife to give back that Shivling to his mother.”

Always took care of common courtesy

But despite this, there was no glimpse of this rift in personal relations. The Maharaja and the Rajmata would attend formal functions together and common courtesy was always observed.

Veer Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare write, “Madhavrao’s personal secretary Mahendra Pratap Singh preferred to be with him. But Madhavrao knew that Rajmata liked Mahendra Pratap Singh. In her view, Mahendra Pratap Singh was better than Mahendra Pratap Singh during his visits. No one took care of her. So whenever she went out Madhavrao would allow her to accompany Rajmata.”

“But once on a visit to Amritsar, Bal Angre abused Madhavrao in the presence of Mahendra Pratap Singh. When Mahendra Pratap returned to Gwalior, he clearly told the Maharaja that he would never go out with Rajmata again.”

Shot at Dog

Due to growing differences with her son, Rajmata Bal became more dependent on Angre. During the Emergency, when Madhavrao was in Nepal and Rajmata was in jail, Angre’s family came and lived in Hiranvan Mahal near Jaivilas Mahal in Gwalior. Rashid Kidwai explains, “There are allegations that Angre’s wife Manu went to the Jaivilas palace and brought gold-plated taps, chandeliers and carpets from there and decorated them in her house. Later when the Congress government came to power. When I came in, Madhavrao Scindia tried to take all these things back. A family source told me that when Madhavrao Scindia’s men went to Hiranvan Mahal to collect these things, the people of Angre left their Rottweiler dogs on them. The people of the city shot a dog.

Rajmata lost to Indira Gandhi in Rae Bareli

The main reason for Madhavrao Scindia joining the Congress party was Rajmata’s closeness to Angre. But despite this, under a strategy, he contested the 1980 elections from Gwalior as an independent.

At the same time, Rajmata decided to try her hand against Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli. Despite the contradiction between his politics and his son’s love, he issued an appeal to the people of Gwalior to choose ‘Mahal’.

Madhavrao won Gwalior by a huge margin against Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but Rajmata suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Indira Gandhi in Rae Bareli.

Vajpayee’s defeat in Gwalior

In the 1984 elections, Madhavrao Scindia first filled his form from Guna, but on November 25, 1984, one and a half hours before the last time of filling the form, he suddenly came to Gwalior and filled his form from there.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party from Gwalior. Time was so short that Vajpayee could not go anywhere and fill his form.

As soon as Rajmata got this news, she was surprised.

Angre’s first reaction to this whole incident was, “Madhavrao will lose from Gwalior. He will get a lesson that he will never forget.”

Madhavrao Scindia defeated Atal Bihari Vajpayee in this election. Rajmata took it very bad and felt herself humiliated.

But sometime before the death of Rajmata, Madhavrao came close to his mother. Veer Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare write in a biography of Madhavrao Scindia, “During Rajmata’s last days, Madhavrao would often visit her hospital, hold her hand, sit beside her and read the Hanuman Chalisa. Vasundhara Raje later recalled hearing Madhavrao’s voice. Only Rajmata’s eyes would shine. Madhavrao’s younger sister Yashodhara told that she used to see tears in the eyes of mother and son in those days.

Snatched the right of funeral from the son in the will

But 13 days after the death of Rajmata, another twist came in the story

In a press conference convened in Delhi’s Press Club, Bal Angre, who was Vijayraje Scindia’s secretary, issued a twelve-page will of Rajmata on September 20, 1985, in which she declared Madhavrao as the saddest part of her life.

In the Biography of Madhavrao Scindia, Veer Sanghvi writes “This will was signed by two witnesses, Prema Vasudevan and S Gurumurthy. In this will it was said that Madhavrao had not only become a slave to his political masters, but he also made me more He has played the role of a tool in harassing my supporters. He wrote in his will that he is no longer even worthy to perform the last rites of his mother.

But despite this, Madhavrao Scindia performed the last rites of his mother with his own hands.

When Sardar Angre was asked a question about this, his answer was, “It was not in my hands. After his last rites were done, I saw that will. Rajmata had instructed Angre’s wife that after his death This envelope should be given to Baal Angre.

When Angre was asked why the will was not opened immediately after his death as he had instructed, he said, “It is never done. It is against human conduct. I got the copy of the will after his last rites.” “

Madhavrao Scindia challenged this will in the court and presented in the court another will written by Rajmata, written in February 1999.

Eight months later, Madhavrao Scindia died in a plane crash. In March 2008, at the age of 87, Bal Angre also said goodbye to this world.