The Hindu : Four Congress Govts misusing Central funds, says BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2003

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National

Four Congress Govts misusing Central funds, says BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 2. The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged today that the Congress Governments in the four States going to polls later this year — Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — were "misusing" Central funds for electoral purposes.

The party threatened to send a detailed report to the Election Commission.

The BJP general secretary and spokesperson, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said that in Chhattisgarh, 40 lakh schoolbags had been distributed from the funds given to the State by the Centre under the `Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan', a scheme to spread literacy. These bags, Mr. Naqvi alleged, carried the photograph of the Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, and a slogan of the Congress.

In Madhya Pradesh, the Central funds for various schemes — the `pradhan mantri sadak yojana', the `Indira awaas yojana' and others — had been diverted to help the Congress boost its electoral prospects.

He said a total of Rs. 9,400 crores had been given to the State under the various Centrally- sponsored schemes.

The BJP objected to a function held in Delhi inaugurating a stadium at Bawana which it alleged had been turned into a full-fledged party rally, addressed by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

Similarly, in Rajasthan, funds were being diverted, he said.

He would not comment on what may happen in the Rae Bareilly court tomorrow, where charges are to be framed against the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and other BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders.

He maintained that "for political reasons" the names of these leaders had been mentioned in first information reports related to the Babri Masjid demolition case.

And on reports — since denied by the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi — that the DMK has invited Ms. Gandhi to participate in a rally in Tamil Nadu later this month, he said "it was the DMK's decision" and "as of today, the DMK continued to be our alliance partner. What happens tomorrow, we cannot say."

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