The Hindu : New Delhi News : Chauhan’s charges refuted

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New Delhi

Chauhan’s charges refuted

Staff Correspondent

Suresh Pachauri

UJJAIN: Union Minister of State and Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Suresh Pachouri has dismissed Chief Minister Shivrj Singh Chauhan’s repeated assertion that the Central Government was ignoring the interests of Madhya Pradesh.

Mr. Pachouri was addressing media persons here on Sunday morning. Earlier he was accorded a rousing welcome at the airport here on Saturday evening. He reached here, along with the leader of Opposition in the State Assembly to address a party workers’ meeting.

The party workers’ response gave the indication that the State Congress workers were waiting to be galvanized into the campaign mode for the Assembly election due later this year.

On Saturday, Mr. Pachouri was at Katni near Jabalpur, where he addressed a big party rally to protest against a recent lathi- charge on protesting party workers led by former State Minister Satyendra Pathak. They were protesting against the “premature” inauguration of a Government hospital in Bijnawar tehsil by the State Health Minister, Ajay Vishnoi. The Congressmen were agitated as the hospital had been inaugurated in a “hush-hush manner” when its building was still under construction.

Addressing the Katni rally, Mr. Pachouri said that party workers and leaders would always remain united and support every party worker who becomes a victim of atrocities by those in power. He compared those at the helm of affairs in Madhya Pradesh with Hitler and said that the people of this State would vote for change and bring Congress to power in the next election.

Mr. Pachouri said that the Bharatiya Janata party Government was least committed to the cause of the farmers. He said that it would be wrong to say that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre was being partial towards Madhya Pradesh. He reiterated that the Centre had given additional electricity to the State and funds were coming to Madhya Pradesh under various schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna and Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

He said that the latest Union Budget was historic as it makes provision for Rs. 60,000 crore for the cause farmers. Opposition leader Jamuna Devi also addressed the Katni rally along with other Congress leaders and led a mass arrest.

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