The Congress on Wednesday questioned the ‘eloquent’ silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the cases of scam being unearthed in some of the BJP-ruled States. The party alleged that unprecedented web of nepotism has stretched from Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh to several other parts of India, examples of which have already been seen earlier in Gujarat.
“All of them make a mockery of the Prime Minister’s wonderful speeches and exhortations on corruption. They would be rendering all BJP models of governance comic if it were not tragic for the nation and for the State concerned,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
The party provided what it claimed were evidence of the alleged involvement of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and his Ministers, close relatives, close personnel and staff in Rice Scam. The Congress is likely to hold demonstrations and also meet President Pranab Mukherjee to apprise him of the scam.
“Not allowing a CBI enquiry or an independent inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court Judge and not stepping down from the coveted post of the CM without which any inquiry would be a mockery of clean Governance and would be comic,” said Singvhi. He provided photo copies of the diary entries against several initials and claimed these implicated the CM and others close to him of getting money.
“One of the three diaries entries specifically gives details like dates and entries from January 2014 to June 2014. There are total 17 entries in my list. These entries show crores of rupees have been paid. They give the names clearly,” said the spokesperson reading out all the entries which, he alleged, named CM Raman Singh, his family members, officials and close staff.
“It was being said that the best model of Food Security and PDS was implemented in Chhattisgarh and Congress was accused of copying the model. Now this is the Chhattisgarh Model. Of course, this ‘chawal wale baba’ has become ‘chawal chor baba,” he said.
To a question on whether the Congress delegation will meet the PM over the Rice Scam just as it did with regard to the Vyaapam Scam in Madhya Pradesh, Singhvi said it does not seem that the party will meet him in view of his eloquent silence and inaction. “There is no use meeting him since it will be a waste of time,” he said.