The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday issued a notice to the state government for granting minister of state status to five religious leaders, ANI reported. The High Court asked the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state to reply within three weeks.

Earlier this month, the government had accorded Computer Baba, Bhaiyyuji Maharaj, Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj and Yogendra Mahant the status of ministers of state.

The state’s general administration department’s additional secretary KK Katiya’s order followed the appointment of the religious leaders to a committee set up on March 31 to promote the Narmada conservation project.

The Congress had described the government’s move as a political gimmick. “These saints should inspect where the state government has planted six crore saplings [along the river banks as claimed by the chief minister [Shivraj Singh Chouhan],” Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi had said.

Moreover, some BJP leaders had also criticised Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the move. “This seems to be the eighth wonder of the world that the saints neither applied for party membership nor contested any election, but bagged minister of state status,” senior party leader Babulal Gaur told The Times of India. “Other saints might be unhappy with the decision as they also wanted to enjoy power and security.”