Digvijay challenges Chouhan for open debate
| Date :29-Mar-2019 |
Staff Reporter,
Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, Digvijay Singh has taken umbrage on being dubbed as ‘Mr Bantadhar’ by ex-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and challenged him for an open debate. Without naming Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he said “he should come up with his 15-year achievements and I will put forward achievements of my 10-year rule during the debate.” Singh said that he respects all religions but do not use them for politics. Moreover, he said that he is preparing a vision document for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat and when he will go to file nomination, he will disclose about the provisions of vision document.
Mincing no words in criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he wanted to know that why Modi hid his marital status in filing election nominations untill 2014. He also sought to know that why PM Narendra Modi does not disclose about his education degrees? Digvijay Singh said that he kept himself aloof from any kind of corruption and whoever levelled charges against him, he dragged him to the court. However, no charge could be proven against me, he claimed. Former CM late Sundarlal Patwa and former minister Vikram Verma withdrew the charge levelled against me, he said.
He added that previous BJP government made laborious efforts to search charges against him, but in vain. He said that whatever decisions were taken during his tenure where taken on the approval of the then Cabinet. On the contrary, he charged that Chouhan and his family of involvement in alleged scams such as Vyapam, dumper scam, nutrition food scam etc. Thanking Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for fielding him from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, he told that he has a habit of accepting challenges. Coming down heavily on demonetisation decision of Modi government, he told that more currency came into market than the banned currency. He stated that BJP had promised to provide 2 crore jobs to youths but after demonetisation, 27,000 jobs are shrinking per day.
Moreover, no black money came back to country. Raking up Rafale fighter jet deal, Singh told that earlier decision was to purchase 126 Rafale fighter planes but Modi government reduced this figure to 36. He also charged that BJP is against PSUs and PSUs are in bad shape in country. He told that he also went to the Holi Milan Samaroh of employees and as per tradition he said that if he had did any mistake then he seeks apology. However, he told that he had done lot for employees and even for Bhopal.