BJP protecting Shivraj Singh Chouhan govt despite corruption charges, alleges Congress

Bhopal: The Congress on Wednesday alleged the BJP central leadership is protecting the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh under which the state witnessed a string of “scams”. [caption id=“attachment_3539619” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. PTI[/caption] The Opposition party said it will pose a series of questions on “corruption and deteriorating law and order situation” in the state to BJP chief Amit Shah, who is arriving on Thursday on a three-day visit to the state. “There is a long list of scams that have taken place under the BJP government. I want to know from the BJP chief why his party is patronising the Chouhan government despite the prime minister’s commitment to not allow corruption,” MP Congress chief Arun Yadav told a press conference. Quoting Narendra Modi’s slogan of na khaunga, na khane dunga (neither will I indulge in corruption, nor allow others to indulge in corruption)’, he questioned the “silence” of the prime minister and Shah on graft in Madhya Pradesh. Yadav claimed the state Lokayukta had filed FIRs against 18 ministers in different graft cases but they were given clean chit under “political pressure” despite evidence. The Congress leader alleged a Rs 1,500 crore scam in construction of toilets in the state under the Rashtriya Swachhta Mission. Yadav questioned the veracity of the BJP government’s claim that six crore saplings were planted along the banks of Narmada river during a 12-hour drive last month. The state Congress chief said he has checked the figures and found that a “huge plantation scam” has taken place. “The chief minister spent several crore of rupees for his own branding during the Narmada Sewa Yatra. This money was spent despite the fact that the state government is reeling under a debt of over Rs 1.70 lakh crore,” he added. Yadav claimed a large number of children had died due to malnutrition in the state during the past 12 years. The Congress leader also alleged a Rs 750 crore scam in onion purchase, saying 17,840 quintal of the commodity had “vanished” from government godowns. “I am going to write a letter to the BJP chief mentioning all these scams. Besides corruption, the law and order situation in state is deteriorating. Shah should clarify as to why he and the prime minister are silent on these issues,” he added.