The BJP launched an attack on the Congress on Tuesday and released a 104-page charge sheet against the Bhupesh Baghel government in poll-bound Chhattisgarh. The saffron party accused the grand old party of being involved in large-scale corruption, nepotism, scams and encouragement to Naxalites. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the Congress government failed to fulfill 316 promises that the party and its former president Rahul Gandhi made on several occasions including the last assembly polls.
Patra held a press conference at the party headquarters where he raised the issue of law and order in the state, reported news agency PTI.
He alleged that Mafia and criminals have been given a free hand in the state. He said, "The Congress government has ignored more than 5,900 rape cases. This is the real face of the Congress in Chhattisgarh."
Patra then raised the topic of corruption and said that Gandhi made a promise to ban the sale of liquor in the state but it witnessed a 'liquor scam' of worth more than Rs 2,000 crores under the leadership of Baghel, reported PTI.
He also took a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party and said, "The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leader Sanjay Singh had demanded that Bhupesh Baghel be arrested in connection with the scam. Just think, the biggest mafia says they (the Chhattisgarh government) have gone against them." His comments appeared to be in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
Patra alleged that a 600 crore scam happened in the state under Congress' rule in the Public Distribution System (PDS) scheme. He claimed that all the facts in this regard are there in a Comptroller and Auditor General report, PTI reported.
He then accused the Baghel government of a scam worth Rs 5000 crore in the Centre-sponsored free grains scheme which was launched to provide support to the ones in need during the Covid pandemic. He said, "The Bhupesh Baghel government showed how profits can be made even in times of pandemic. In the rice that Prime Minister Modi had sent for poor people, a scam worth Rs 5,000 crore happened in the state."
He then accused the Congress of corruption and nepotism in filling government vacancies, Patra claimed that "many of the Congress leaders' relatives" got government jobs in Chhattisgarh.
He also said that there have been irregularities and corruption in the recruitment as well as the transfer of teachers. He alleged, "Crores of rupees were collected from about 20,000 teachers in the name of transfer and recruitment." "Not only this, to benefit private companies, teachers were made lifetime members of 'Kilol Patrika' and crores of rupees were collected from them. This was not voluntary, but compulsory."
The spokesperson of the saffron party then accused the Congress of 'destroying' the culture of tribals by 'promoting' religious conversion in Chhattisgarh, reported PTI.
While talking about Naxalism, he said, "The Modi government worked to end Naxalism. But, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh has encouraged Naxalites and also got the BJP workers killed by them. The Congress government is with the Naxalites," PTI reported.
Patra then said that the Baghel government is yet to fulfill Gandhi's promises that he made during the polls according to which a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 will be given to the unemployed youth, the electricity bill will be reduced and 200 food parks will be set up in the state.
While talking about the farmers, Patra said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the 'Kisan Samman Nidhi' scheme for farmers. The farmers of Chhattisgarh were registered under this scheme, but the state government did not verify the list. As a result, lakhs of farmers of Chhattisgarh are not getting Rs 6,000 per annum under the scheme."