Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath today responded to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s criticism on the Congress election manifesto’s promise of scrapping the sedition law, saying that it’s an antique law formulated in British era for freedom fighters.
Nath while launching the Congress party theme song for upcoming Lok Sabha elections here said “What is the date of sedition law, please tell me. British time (sic)”.
“They (BJP) should be ashamed of themselves and should have scrapped this themselves,” he added.
Nath claimed he has chalked out various schemes for MP but refrained from sharing them with the media saying model election code of conduct was in force and he would announce these decisions on May 24.
Lambasting the BJP for its claims that the country turned safe only when PM Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, Nath asked whether the BJP considers commoners fool. The Chief Minister said the saffron party claims the country is safe under Modi and would turn unsafe without him, but instead say the country is generally not safe – despite PM Modi being in power.
He also accused BJP of misusing the name of armed forces.
Saying the Congress was deemed weak in places like Bhopal and Jabalpur, Nath said he was confident the grand old party would win both the seats. Bhopal and Jabalpur have been under BJP’s hold for years but this time the Congress is making all possible efforts to wrest these seats from the saffron candidates.
Asked about a sting operation carried out by a news channel in which several BJP leaders have allegedly been trapped accepting ill-effects of demonetisation, a smiling Nath claimed please wait and watch, much more would come out on and people would vociferously oppose them over demonetisation.
While speaking on the Congress election manifesto released by Congress president on Tuesday, the Madhya Pradesh CM heaped praises on certain announcements including the NYAY scheme, 33% proposed reservation for women, promise of hiking minimum job of 100 days to 150 days under MGNREGS, exemption for start-ups upto three years and others.
Claiming that loan waiver was an initial relief for farmers, Nath said the Congress party wants to revolutionise the agriculture sector and for doing so the party manifesto has promised a separate Kisan budget.
In MP’s context, the Chief Minister said the economy requires to be kick-started, state economies especially. The informal economy would also receive a boost through economic activities under the NYAY scheme and MGREGS jobs, he added.
Commenting on the controversy revolving around Section 370, Nath said the Congress has tried raising all the crucial issues in the manifesto and also talked about this. But, “The question here is whether Kashmir’s situation was better now or was five years ago,” he said.