By
L.S Herdenia
BHOPAL: Answers given by the Ministers
on the floor of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha have created highly
embarrassing situation both for the state Government and the state Congress.
The position was so much embarrassing that senior leader and former Chief
Minister Digvijaya Singh had to publicly rebuke the concerned Ministers.
Exactly two months after winning the
assembly elections, the Congress Government on Monday took a U-turn on two
crucial issues – the Mandsaur police firing and plantation of 6 crore saplings
under the Shivraj Singh Chouhan administration, in which Congress had alleged
irregularities.
Home Minister Balla Bachahan said in
the assembly that police opened fire in Mandsaur “following standard procedure
norms, in self-defence”. And forest Minister Umang Singhar said “there were no
financial irregularities in the plantation drive conducted along the Narmada
banks”.
Congress had attacked BJP relentlessly
on both these issues during campaign for assembly polls. After the about-turn
on Monday BJP demanded a public apology.
Bachchan gave the Mandsaur statement
in reply to queries raised by Congress MLA Harsh Vijay Gehlot. “On June 6 2017,
Police firing at Bahi Chaupati on Mhow-Neemuch Road in the absence of executive
magistrate was done by complying to SOP for self-defence. It was to protect
government and private property. The order was given by SDM Malhargarh,
Sharavan Bhandari in Pipliya Mandi.”
.On government action on the Justice
Jain report, Bachchan said “The report is being reviewed and appropriate legal
action will be taken after examining the findings” The Jain report had
mentioned “communication gap” between farmers and officials. “The
administration wasn’t aware of their demands and did not make any effort to
find out. But, the district administration wasn’t in a position to address
demands that farmers should get better prices or a loan waiver. Thus, Police
firing on June 6 was necessary and legal” the report said.
Even after coming to power in the
state, Congress Minister Jitu Patwari, who had accompanied AICC chief Rahul
Gandhi during his Mandsaur visit in June 2018, said “Those who fired at the
farmers in Mandsaur shouldn’t be spared.” Patwari had also tweeted on December
25, 2018 that the Congress government will “reopen the Mandsaur investigation”.
After the U-turn BJP hit out at
Congress. “It was a Congress planted propaganda to attack BJP over the farmer
issue. They misguided farmers and the entire country during assembly elections”
said BJP state spokesperson Rajneesh Agarwal.
It was a repeat of this with the
Narmada plantation. Congress had all along alleged that there were
irregularities in the plantation drive but minister Singhar said in the House “
The state government has not found any irregularity or misappropriation of
funds during the plantation drive on the banks of holy river Narmada. The
department has issued instructions to examine the condition of saplings planted
on July 2, 2017. There is no question of investigating the matter”.
In July 2017, when the then Shivraj
regime said it had planted 6 crore saplings along the Narmada. Congress smelt a
‘scam’. “It’s a big scam in the name of Narmada. It’s not only the question of
planting 6 crore saplings, but also how much expenditure was incurred on it”
Congress president Kamal Nath had asked in May 2018. Now his minister has given
it the clean chit.
BJP launched a scathing attack on
Congress for “misguiding people”. “Now, the forest minister admitted that there
was no financial irregularity or misappropriation. Congress must apologise in
public for the fake propaganda against BJP” said Agarwal.
Reacting angrily Digvijaay Singh
launched scathing attack on both the Ministers for making baseless and
ill-informed statement. Digvijay Singh said it is highly surprisingly that the
Home and Forest Ministers gave a sort of clean chit to the previous BJP
Government. Singh also showed his annoyance over Forest Minister Umang Singhar
about his reply on plantation on the banks of river Narmada. Singh stated that
he did 3100 km Narmada Parikrama and it is obvious that Forest Minister does
not know much about forestation on the banks of Narmada. Singh during his
parikrma said that the claim about plantation of 6 crore plants was bogus and
smacked of corruption.
Intervening in the matter, CM Kamal
Nath made it clear that his government has “resolved to ensure punishment to
those involved in corruption and scams”. “we will neither spare those who shot
farmers in Mandsaur, nor forgive those involved in the plantation scam. And we
will also not spare those responsible of financial frauds during Simhastha.
“Whether it’s a matter of doing
justice to farmers or ensuring punishment for scamstars, we have resolved to
see through” tweeted the CM. Before Nath’s statement, Bachchan and Singhar –
rattled by the flood of criticism – had come up with explanations. Bachchan
clarified that his statement in the assembly was given on the basis of the
previous government’s observations.
“We are reviewing and re-examining the
report submitted by the previous BJP government. If the report turns out
against the farmers, the government will order a fresh probe.” Said the home
minister at a press conference on Tuesday. Singhar also turned defensive. “We
had already ordered a probe into the mass plantation drive. The statement was
given on the basis of preliminary observations but we will act after receiving
a detailed report from the forest department” he said.
Reacting to the self-goals by
Congress, state BJP accused ministers of lying and pointed out that no matter
what the ministers say now their statements made in the assembly would be
considered official. (IPA Service)
The post Congress Ministers Take U-Turn On Two Crucial Issues appeared first on Newspack by India Press Agency.
