Attacking the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in Chhattisgarh over unkept election promises and corruption, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 22 said that it had failed on every front and its exit countdown had started.
“Mr. Baghel, you should be ashamed that you have gone back on your election promises to such an extent that the people of Chhattisgarh are waiting for the election. It is certain that when the election comes, you will lose power. Once again, the BJP will return to power,” he said, addressing a public meeting in Durg, the home district of Chief Minister Baghel.
The meeting was part of the BJP’s outreach campaign to mark the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Chhattisgarh will go to polls by the end of this year.
“They announced prohibition but started home delivery of liquor. They promised 10 lakh jobs for youth, has anyone received it? They were to provide an unemployment allowance of ₹2,500, has anyone received it? Self-help groups should have had their loans waived off, but it didn’t happen,” he said, mentioning some of the election promises that helped the Congress win in the last Assembly election dislodging a BJP government of three terms.
While pointing out other “failed promises” and rising debt of the State under the Congress government, the Union Home Minister also brought up alleged scams in the State that had surfaced in the past four and a half years.
Mr. Shah listed the “₹2,000-crore liquor scam, the ₹500-crore coal transportation scam, the ₹5,000-crore Garib Anna Yojana scam, the Gauthan scheme scam of ₹1,300 crore, and the public service commission scam in which lakhs were asked to pay to get jobs”. “They imposed Corona cess but never spent the money and in the District Mineral Funds, irregularities to the tune of ₹700 crore were alleged by State Congress president himself. Should a government indulging in so many scams be re-elected?” he said.
Questioning the State government for claiming credit on paddy procurement, Mr. Shah said that it was the Centre led by Mr. Modi that purchased 91 lakh tonnes of paddy from the State’s farmers. Earlier this year, Mr. Baghel had shared a chart of rice-producing States in the country, showing that almost 23 lakh (22,93,761) farmers in Chhattisgarh benefitted from this year’s procurement drive, the most for any State.
“The Centre spent ₹74,000 crore while the State spent ₹12,500 crore. Which amount is higher? Baghelji stop lying,” he said. He lauded former CM Raman Singh for taking Chhattisgarh away from the BIMARU tag.
Describing Chhattisgarh as the nanihal or maternal home of Lord Ram, Mr. Shah said it was the Congress that didn’t let the construction of the Ram Temple happen in Ayodhya for 70 years. Earlier, he also visited the residence of Pandwani singer and Padma Shri awardee Usha Barle where he received a traditional Chhattisgarhi welcome.
Skips Balaghat event due to bad weather
Meanwhile, Mr. Shah had to skip another scheduled meeting in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh due to bad weather. His aircraft returned to Raipur midway. Apart from speaking on the nine years of Modi government, Mr. Shah was expected to launch the Rani Durgavati Gaurav yatra in Balaghat.
PTI adds:
Mr. Shah on Thursday said the Narendra Modi-led central government brought Left Wing Extremism under control in the entire country, except for a few areas in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, in nine years. Highlighting the achievements of nine years of the Modi-led government, he said, "The Left Wing Extremism was brought under control in the entire country, barring a few areas in Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, during this period."
