Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said that the Governor Anusuiya Uikey can withhold the reservation amendment bills until the time she continues as the Governor of Chhattisgarh.

Talking to mediapersons at Police Line Helipad in the State Capital before leaving for his Bhent Mulaqat programme in Bemetara Legislative Assembly Constituency, Baghel said that the Governor does not want to sign the reservation amendment bills.

The Governor has three options- to withhold her assent, return the bill and reserve the bill for the President’s consideration. The State Government had already replied to all queries raised by the Governor. Even after it, the Governor has not given her assent to the reservation amendment bills so far, Baghel said.

The Chief Minister said that if the Governor again raises any query regarding the reservation amendment bills, the State Government is ready to reply all the queries.

The Chief Minister further said that the BJP did not want to become a villain among the public. But the BJP is blocking the reservation amendment bills through Raj Bhawan from the back door. The BJP never wanted progress of tribals, farmers, children, women and labourers in the State. All the public sector undertakings are being sold where the reservation benefits could have reached the deserving people. But instead there is a concerted effort to privatise everything including Railways.

BJP is playing the game of ending reservation, alleged Baghel. Baghel said that the BJP should clear whether the OBC should be given reservation or not, he added.

Baghel reiterated his earlier statement that the Legal Advisor to Governor sits at the BJP’s party office Ekatma Parisar. The reservation amendment bills were unanimously passed in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and all the political parties supported the bills. If any problem comes to the court regarding the reservation amendment bills, the State Government is ready to fight it out. The Quantifiable Data Commission was formed and on the basis of that the reservation amendment bills were framed to implement reservation, he added. Baghel said that during his Bhent Mulaqat programme, a girl had asked about delay in admission in the college, he replied her that the State Government had passed the reservation amendment bills. The future of youth is being spoiled due to delay in implementation of reservation bills, he added. Baghel said that the Sarva Adivasi Samaj had protested against the delay in implementation of reservation bills. The tribals had gone to meet the Governor but they could not meet her. The Governor describes herself as a well wisher of the tribal community but she did not meet the tribal who had gone to meet her, Baghel added. Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said that the State Government had written a letter to the Government of India about the manhandling of businessmen and officers by the ED in the money laundering case. If there is corruption, the ED has proof then why are the ED officials harassing the people. Someone’s leg was fractured and some lost hearing. All these are being done to get statement against people they are targeting. If there is evidence, then the State government cooperate and has provided forces. Investigation is fine, but harassing is an unfair, that’s why the letter was written, he clarified.