Chouhan always avoids open debate: Diggy
Responding to Bantadhar jibe hurled at him by former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Congress nominee for Lok Sabha polls from Bhopal Digvijay Singh claimed the Chouhan always runs away when he asked him to have an open debate during his ten-year rule against BJP’s 15-year-regime.
While talking to media persons here at the State Congress office, Singh said, I have managed to keep myself away from stains of corruption in all these years of my political life.” BJP leaders including Sundarlal Patwa, Vikram Verma and Uma Bharti accused him of corruption but could not prove a single charge till date, he added.
The BJP government, Singh said, scanned everything in last 15 years against me and all they could find was a case where I was accused of appointing some people from late speaker Sriniwas Tiwari’s area into assembly secretariat. “Shivraj ji alleges that appointments were made with orders issued on cigarette packs, I need to ask let them show which kind of packs were there.”
Those appointments were approved in state cabinet, he claimed. The senior Congress leader on the occasion reiterated his allegations against Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his family. “Shivraj and his family have been involved in Vyapam scam, illegal mining, dumper scam, nutritious food scam and others,” he said adding he had dared them to file defamation case which they didn’t.
The two-time MP Chief Minister tried raking up controversy around PM Modi’s marital status. “I am not being personal but what was the reason but so many election forms he filed, yet concealed his marital status,” he said claiming PM Modi only revealed he was married in 2014.
The senior Congress leader alleged the Modi government mostly pedals forged and manufactured figures. He quoted Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that on an average 27,000 jobs were lost daily post demonetisation.
He also accused Modi government of corruption in Rafale deal and accused the Centre of persistently weakening PSUs in last five years saying the BJP government does not like PSUs.
To BJP’s criticism on Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s Minimum Income Guarantee Scheme, Singh claimed it’s possible and we just have to spend 1.3 per cent of the GDP. “Our tax to GDP ratio is much lesser than other countries and we could implement the income scheme if we increase the ratio by only 1.5 per cent.”
On his Hindutva credentials, Singh affirmed that he has been disciple of Shankaracharya Swaroopanad Saraswati since 1983 saying he does not publicise his religious faith and avoids using it in elections.
Regarding his developmental plan for Bhopal, he claimed he would come up with a vision document on this in fortnight.
