The former Union Minister and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with protecting Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is facing serious charges of corruption in the Vyapam scam.
Talking to The Hindu here, Mr. Kharge said that the Prime Minister was under the clutches of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and he (Mr. Modi) is left with no alternative but to protect those who had helped the RSS and him (Mr. Modi) in the election even if they were facing major charges, such as the Vyapam scam and the Lalit Modi affair.
Mr. Kharge said that as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over investigation in the Vyapam scam, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, who is allegedly involved in the scam, has no moral right to continue in office.
He said that the Vyapam scam was the biggest one in the country as a fairly large human resource has been created with bogus certificates. “We do not know how many bogus doctors and engineers are in government service now,” he said.
Niti Aayog meeting
To a question, Mr. Kharge said that Congress Chief Ministers kept away from the meeting of Chief Ministers convened by the Niti Aayog to discuss amendments to the Land Acquisition Act 2013, as it was thought that it would not serve any purpose.
Moreover, the stand of the Congress was clear as right from day one of the BJP’s attempts to bring in amendments, it has been opposing it.
He said that the Act was passed unanimously in Parliament after a thorough discussion by the previous United Progressive Alliance government and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government instead of implementing the Act, was trying to dilute it through a series of amendments with a view to help certain industrialists and big corporates.
Disagreed
Mr. Kharge did not agree with the arguments of the BJP leaders that the amendments to the Act was necessary to enable more industries to come and said that there has not been a single instance of any industrialist going back on his assurance to invest for want of land.
Vyapam scam is the biggest one in the country.
M. Mallikarjun Kharge
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha
