"He should not allege, he should investigate": Chhattisgarh Dy CM responds to PM Modi's corruption allegations

Oct 01, 2023

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 1 : Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations of corruption and misrule by the state's Congress government, Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdeo said that the Prime Minister should probe the alleged 'scams' and shouldn't make such accusations if he lacks information.
"He should not allege, he should investigate. If he has information, he should make it public. If he was talking about the cow dung scam, he should tell that scam of how much amount was done... If he does not have information, then, being in such a position, he should not make such allegations. The same is true for the Public Service Commission (PSC). If there is any such thing, an investigation should be done," TS Singhdeo told ANI.
This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress government in Chhattisgarh of being steeped in corruption and misrule, saying there is a scam in every scheme of the state and that it did not spare even cow dung.
"Imagine the mentality of a person who practices corruption in cow dung," the Prime Minister questioned speaking at a public event in Raigarh.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is in opposition in the state has alleged scam in cow dung procurement under the state's Gaudhan Nyay Yojana.
Slamming the Congress government, the Prime Minister said, "The kind of scams the Congress practices, fills up the coffers of their leaders. Though they have fallen back in poverty alleviation, the Congress government is moving forward in corruption."
"We wanted to stop liquor sales in Chhattisgarh but the Congress started scam in liquor sale itself...The mineral wealth of Chhattisgarh is being used as Congress' ATM. False propaganda and rampant corruption are the hallmarks of the Congress government in Chhattisgarh," he added.
Prime Minister Modi said that had the Congress done its work sincerely it would have been easy for him today.
"If Congress had done its work properly then Modi need not have worked hard today," the Prime Minister said in another attack on the ruling party in the state.
In an attack on the Congress on its election "guarantees", PM Modi said, "50 years ago Congress has given the 'Garibi Hatao' slogan to eliminate poverty. Even today they fight elections on this guarantee."
Speaking on the progress of the state in eliminating Naxalism, PM Modi said, "There was a time when Chhattisgarh was known only for Naxalite attacks and violence. After the efforts of the BJP government, today Chhattisgarh is being recognised because of the development work done here."
Comparing its government at the Centre with that of the state, Modi said, "The BJP government of Delhi is leaving no stone unturned for the development of Chhattisgarh. But the Congress government here is not engaged in development work but only in empty talk and claims."
Chattisgarh will go to polls at the end of this year. The BJP aims to wrest power from the Congress-ruled state which is expected to set the tone for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.