Chhattisgarh: War of words between BJP, Congress over bulldozer culture

RAIPUR: In a thumbs-up to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s bulldozer culture, senior leaders of the opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh on Sunday said that if their party forms the government in the state, both crime and criminals will be crushed with a bulldozer. The ruling Congress has hit back, saying the BJP has turned issueless and is copying the destructive ideas of other states.
“Why is the Congress party so worried about bulldozers? The statement of cabinet minister Amarjeet Bhagat is aimed at shielding criminals and crimes.We assure the people of Chhattisgarh that they will live without fear if the BJP forms the government. The BJP government will come down hard on criminals,” said leader of opposition Narayan Chandel.
Food and civil supplies minister Bhagat took a dig at the BJP, saying the social chemistry of the party is disturbed and the party is working on its agenda. The minister also took on the BJP on the bulldozer issue.
The minister said that he would give a chance to run bulldozers and asked whoever wants it. There are disruptive elements; let them remain there, said the minister.
BJP Chhattisgarh president Arun Sao said that bulldozers would run in Chhattisgarh like Uttar Pradesh. The government in Chhattisgarh will have to be changed if people want bulldozers to crush criminals and crimes.
Another senior BJP leader, Brijmohan Agrawal, believes that bulldozers will crush the politics of appeasement. He said that Chhattisgarh is the 22nd most populous state in the country but remains in the top ten in terms of crime. When the BJP government comes to power, mafias will be bulldozed, he said.
Former principal secretary and BJP leader Ganesh Shankar Mishra is of the view that a bulldozer can bring justice.
Meanwhile, Congress communication head Sushil Anand Shukla said that the BJP has become bankrupt as far as developmental issues are concerned, so it is copying the issues of other states, which are destructive.
There are no such mafias or criminals in Chhattisgarh state against whom action with bulldozers or encounters is required, he said.