Cong, BJP slug it out in open over Lakhma’s remarks

Raipur: The Congress and BJP members are locked in a verbal duel after Chhattisgarh’s excise and industries minister Kawasi Lakhma mocked two senior state BJP leaders as “changu-mangu” of the saffron party. State BJP unit hit back saying Lakhma is a puppet in the hands of chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is misusing him.
BJP Chhattisgarh president Arun Sao and leader of opposition Narayan Chandel were on Bastar tour as part of the party's preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.When asked, tribal leader and minister Lakhma said that the newly appointed ‘Changu-Mangu’ of BJP have come only to get garlanded from the party people.
“Both leaders belong to the Bilaspur division and no one from Bastar knows them. Have they ever been to Bastar? Former BJP minister Kedar Kashyap’s claim that these leaders had earlier come to Bastar is false. Kedar who had closed over 300 schools in Bastar, will damage the BJP in this part of the state,” Lakhma said while talking to the media. Reacting to Lakhma’ s statement BJP state general secretary and former minister Kedar Kashyap said, “BJP does not take any statement of Kawasi Lakhma seriously because he is the puppet at the hands of chief minister Baghel. Lakhma cannot be blamed for what he says in public.” Kashyap said that the chief minister is baffled by the growing influence of the BJP in Bastar and therefore he is venting his anger through a tribal leader and excise minister Kawasi Lakhma.
Kashyap however advised that Lakhma should remember that he is a responsible minister of the state. Kashyap said that the senior BJP leaders Sao and Chandel are on a Bastar tour and they are receiving a tremendous response from the public. The political climate in Bastar is changing in favour of the BJP and it is irritating the chief minister, he said.
Former MP Dinesh Kashyap has retaliated to Lakhma’s statement saying such remarks can be expected only from an ‘illiterate’ person.