The Congress on Friday (August 18) released a “Ghotala sheet” listing the scams that allegedly took place under the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in the last 18 years.
Soon, a google search for ‘scam’ will throw up Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s image, said State Congress chief Kamal Nath at a press conference here.
“The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh has created a world record of scams during its 18 years’ rule. The list is too long and the Congress has included some of its mega scams in the Ghotala (scam) sheet. The ‘50% commission raaj’ has turned the State into a ‘Ghotala State’,” he said.
“The day is not far when people will search for `scam' on Google and a photo of Shivraj Singh Chouhan will appear," quipped Mr. Nath, a former Chief Minister.
When asked why his government did not probe any of these scams while in power between 2018 and 2020, Mr. Nath said, “I am not a 2018 model. Now I am a 2023 model.”
He got only 15 months in power and two-and-a-half months were wasted because of the model code of conduct for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said.
He was more focused on establishing Madhya Pradesh as an investment destination than the investigation of corruption scandals, Mr. Nath added.
The ‘Ghotala sheet’ published by the party listed 254 scams including the infamous Vyapam scam (₹2,000 crore), illegal mining (₹50,000 crore), e-tender scam (₹3,000 crore), RTO scam (₹25,000 crore), liquor scam (₹86,000 crore), Mahakal Lok (₹100 crore) and electricity scam (₹94,000 crore).
The tagline of the leaflet was “Ghotala hi Ghotala, Ghotala Seth – 50% Commission Rate.”
The Opposition party also announced a phone number on which people can give a missed call if they want to associate themselves with the campaign against the BJP government’s ‘corruption’.
Reacting to the Congress's press conference, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma called the Congress leader “Corruption Nath” and said what is associated with him is a model of 1984 anti-Sikh riots and many other issues and not the 2023 model which Mr. Nath claims he is.
The leaflet distributed by the Congress at the press conference does not have any credit line, Mr. Sharma said.
Assembly elections are due in the State by the year-end. The BJP on Thursday released its first list of candidates though the poll schedule is yet to be announced.
