BJP demands special observer for Lok Sabha polls in MP

INDORE/BHOPAL: The

political slugfest

continued on the second day of the tax raids on aides of

CM Kamal Nath

. While Congress cried vendetta, BJP demanded special observers for the

Lok Sabha polls in MP

.



“Going by the way Madhya Pradesh Police has been mistreating CRPF at the behest of the CM, it seems impossible to have fair elections in the state. Election Commission must appoint special observers for Madhya Pradesh,”

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya

tweeted. Earlier, former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had tweeted: “Madhya Pradesh is an island of peace, but it has been made an arena of struggle to demolish the Constitution. The model code of conduct is in force. So, on whose direction were police there?”

In the morning, Vijayvargiya put up a pinned tweet that said: “Madhya Pradesh’s transfer express has been derailed. No lives were lost but ‘maal’ worth Rs 281 crore is lost.” Some news channels had also run the figure the previous night.

Congress state media in-charge Shobha Oza said: “How does he know the amount of unaccounted money recovered in I-T raids? Is he the finance minister of the country? It shows that the raids were conducted at the behest of BJP government at the Centre to malign the Congress government in the state. They have violated the model code of conduct also because EC was not taken into confidence before the raids were conducted.” Bhupendra Gupta, vice-president of state Congress media cell, said: “BJP is a party of fake propaganda. What is strange is that BJP knows about the seizure. It means that I-T is briefing BJP about details of the raid. What better proof of misuse of investigating agencies?”

In Indore, ministers Bala Bachchan, Vijaylaxmi Sadho and Jitu Patwari accused the Narendra Modi-led Centre of “vengefully using constitutional bodies to defame Congress”.

“In the search, nothing ‘objectionable’ has found at the establishments of Praveen Kakkar and R K Miglani, who are stated to be the chief minister’s close-aides. And even after 36 hours, the investigating agency is yet to disclose its findings,” home minister Bala Bachchan said at a programme of NSUI workers. “On the other hand, the IT search on Ashwini Sharma, who said he is a BJP worker, is said to have revealed disproportionate cash and properties worth crores of rupees,” Bachchan added.

“The same way, former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had defamed Congress on crimes in Ratlam, Mandsaur, Indore and Barwani but later it was found that BJP leaders were involved in these cases,” the home minister said, adding that MP Police did not interrupt the tax officials or CRPF in the search. “Police reached there to ensure law and order is maintained,” Bachchan said. “If the search establishes that somebody is guilty of corruption, the state government will take appropriate action against him.”

Higher education minister Jitu Patwari said, “BJP its undertaking such actions wherever it is not in power, like MP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal, because it cannot digest defeat and is doing this out of vengeance. Congress will reach out to people with questions, including the source of large amounts money spent on rallies of Narendra Modi, huge amounts received in BJP’s party fund, Rafale deal, VYAPAM scam and how big businessmen like Nirav Modi fled the country after duping banks.”