Bhopal, Aug. 8 -- The Supreme Court of India initiated contempt proceedings against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Madhya Pradesh government on August 5 over its decision to halt the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) sealing drive against illegal commercial establishments operating from residential areas after constituting a 10-member high-level committee.

Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan expressed strong displeasure over the state's decision, observing that the government could not stall enforcement of the Supreme Court's earlier directions through an administrative committee.

The controversy stems from the state government's August 2 decision to form a 10-member committee to exami...