Patel advises CM to stop worrying about Cong affairs

Raipur, December 14, 2011

The PCC president Nandkumar Patel on Wednesday advised Chief Minister Raman Singh to stop worrying about internal affairs of the opposition and must rather show concern about dwindling image of his own party. “Those who fail to manage their own houses start peeping in neighbour’s houses. The CM is doing the same job,” said Patel reacting sharply over the CM’s critical remarks on his relations with fellow partymen – ex-CM Ajit Jogi, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Charandas Mahant and CLP leader Ravindra Choubey.

He pointed that the CM had failed to contain some of his own party leaders - the senior BJP parliamentarians who were overtly giving statements against the state government.

“The increased activities of Congress are giving nightmares to the CM as he remembers that his party could form the government merely on the basis of 1.7 percent vote difference,” Patel said who is on two-day tour to national capital from Wednesday.

After holding separate talks with state Congress incharge BK Hariprasada and AICC treasurer Motilal Vora, Patel hit back at the CM for his remarks against Congress.

“The CM admits that the opposition is active in the state. Still, he never answered to any of our questions in the past eight years. We even urged him to at least answer three of our questions which we put during party’s recent district-level workers’ meeting at Rajnandgaon. But he is busy giving unsolicited statements,” Patel said.

He said the CM went delirious because of series of successful protest movements of Congress against the government. “He has realised that BJP’s days are numbered. Besides, he is also worried by the anti-governmental remarks of MPs Dilip Singh Judeo and Ramesh Bais,” Patel said.

He alleged that the government had not yet purchased ten lakh ton paddy of May and June 2011 at minimum support price (MSP) despite clear instructions from Union Food Minister KV Thomas to procure entire year’s paddy at MSP.

On government’s proposal to increase reservation of tribal community, Patel said it was surprising that the ruling party was hibernating for last eight years. “Now, when it wants to increase reservation of tribals up to 58 percent then why it is not following the Central pattern and increasing OBC reservation from existing 14 percent to 27 percent,” he said.

Patel further slammed the government for reducing reservation percentage of scheduled caste and said it had no right to do injustice to the people of specific category.