Bhopal, Nov 1 :
The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Friday promised retaliatory protests in Delhi against the Centre if the state unit of the BJP holds an agitation for flood-affected farmers on November 4 here.
MP Public Relations Department Minister PC Sharma said the BJP under former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should stop “staging such dramas” and instead protest against the Centre to release aid for the 7.5 crore people of the state.
The BJP’s state media in charge Lokendra Parashar had said his party would carry out an agitation across MP against the Kamal Nath government demanding loan waivers, reduction of power bills and financial relief to farmers affected by heavy rains.
Speaking to PTI, minister Sharma said, “BJP leaders, especially (former CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan, should stop staging dramas in MP. Instead, he should protest against the Centre to get aid for 7.5 crore people in the state.”
“But if the BJP holds protests here, then the ruling Congress will stage a protest in Delhi against the Centre for not providing relief to farmers affected by floods in MP,” he warned, adding that the details of the protest has not been finalised as yet.
Talking to reporters in Hoshangabad later, Sharma said the Centre had not issued funds under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) despite CM Kamal Nath meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sharma asked former CM Chouhan to ensure the Union government releases Rs 6621.28 crore as relief to farmers in distress. The minister said the Congress government in MP has decided to constitute the State Redevelopment Sub Fund for re-construction of farmers’ properties damaged by floods and heavy rains.
He said ministers in the Kamal Nath government would contribute one-month salary to this fund, and hoped others would follow suit.
