Congress will continue its appeasement politics if elected again in Chhattisgarh: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday alleged the Congress will continue to indulge in “appeasement” politics for a vote bank if it returns to power in Chhattisgarh after the Assembly polls next month. Addressing a rally in Rajnandgaon city, Shah said the Congress government has built a “corruption chain” up to Delhi like a food chain (of restaurants). “If BJP comes to power in Chhattisgarh, we will recover every penny from the corrupt and they will be hanged upside down,” he added. He also said undivided Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh had remained a ‘BIMARU’ (laggard) state during the Congress rule, but in 15 years after Raman Singh came to power (in 2003), it became a developed state. Shah attacked the Bhupesh Baghel government over communal violence in Biranpur village of Bemetara district in April and asked people whether they wanted Chhattisgarh to become a centre of communal riots again. The rally was held ahead of the filing of nomination forms of former chief minister Raman Singh and three other BJP candidates in Rajnandgaon. The opposition BJP has fielded Ishwar Sahu, the father of Bhuneshwar Sahu who was killed in the Biranpur riot, from the Saja Assembly segment in Bemetara district. Polling for 90 seats in Chhattisgarh is scheduled to be held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Pointing at Ishwar Sahu who was present on the stage, Shah said Bhuneshwar Sahu was lynched for vote bank and appeasement. “We will bring the murderer of Bhuneshwar Sahu to justice. We have given a ticket to his father”. “Do you want Chhattisgarh to become the centre of communal riots once again? Should Bhuneshwar Sahu get justice or not? If Congress comes to power again, it will continue the politics of appeasement and vote bank,” he said. Shah said various “scams” have taken place during the Congress rule in Chhattisgarh and accused CM Baghel of turning the state into the “ATM of Delhi darbar”. “I haven’t seen such a big list of scams in my public life. Liquor scam worth Rs 2000 crore, coal scam worth over Rs 500 crore in which officers of his (Baghel) office have gone to jail, scam in Pradhan Mantri Anna Yojna, Mahadev app (gaming and betting app) scam worth Rs 5000 crore etc,” he said. They (Congress) did not spare even the youth of the state and indulged in a scam in the public service commission recruitment, Shah claimed. He termed the Congress government as ’tees taka, Bhupesh kaka’ (30 percent commission government of Baghel). Baghel is fondly called ‘kaka’(uncle) in the state. Highlighting the previous Raman Singh government’s achievements, Shah said every area of the state, including those largely inhabited by Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs), saw development. Asking what Baghel has done in five years, Shah took a swipe saying the CM’s nature is not to give an account of his works as he remains busy in settling accounts (scores) with Tamradhwaj Sahu and Raja Sahab (referring to Deputy CM TS Singh Deo). Sahu and Singh Deo were also among the contenders for the CM post after the Congress was elected to power in the state in 2018. “The upcoming elections are not to elect any government or MLAs but to create a golden future under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every single vote will contribute in making the golden future of Chhattisgarh,” he added. He also targeted the Baghel government for not fulfilling its poll promises, including prohibition. The Congress government did not fulfil 315 promises and also stopped the welfare schemes that were functional during BJP rule, Shah alleged. He (Baghel) just worked to transfer money to ‘Delhi Darbar’ by making Chhattisgarh an ‘ATM’, he said. He asked people whether they will give another chance to Bhupesh Baghel who has destroyed the future of Chhattisgarh and the large gathering replied in the negative. Hailing the massive crowd at the rally, Shah said the enthusiasm of people shows the lotus (BJP’s poll symbol) will bloom in Chhattisgarh on counting day on December 3. The pride of the country had been enhanced under the Modi government, Shah said, adding that the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre had worked to give 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. He urged people to vote BJP to power in Chhattisgarh and re-elect the Modi government at the Centre in 2024. After the rally, Raman Singh (Rajnandgaon seat) and three other BJP candidates - Geeta Ghasi Sahu (Khujji), Bharat Lal Verma (Dongargaon) and Vinod Khandekar (Dongargarh-Scheduled Caste reserved), filed nomination papers at the Collectorate here for their respective constituencies.