I always opposed Emergency, even when in Congress: BJP's Scindia

Bhopal: Jyotiraditya Scindia, Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member, on Friday said that Emergency was imposed in the country for the sake of sticking to power whereas the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre was working for welfare of people.

The BJP leader made the comments while addressing the party workers through a virtual rally across the state to mark 100 days of Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh.

Besides Scindia, union minister for agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, chief minister Chouhan and state BJP president VD Sharma addressed the rally.

“When many countries shuddered to think how to control coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a firm decision on lockdown. On one side, there is a party which had imposed Emergency on the country to stick to power and on the other another party’s leader made an appeal to people with folded hands to comply with lockdown and 130 crore people of the country responded to his request with a positive mindset,” Scindia said comparing Congress with the NDA government at the Centre.

“Many people will say that Scindiaji since you have changed the party you are talking of Emergency, but I wish to tell them I always opposed Emergency and even when I was in the Congress. What is true is true and what is wrong is wrong. At the end of the day a human being has to live with himself. If you see yourself in the mirror and find yourself a liar you will not be able to sleep comfortably,” said Scindia.

The leader underscored how PM Modi’s early decision to go into lockdown proved right for the country, comparing it to other countries that witnessed heavy casualties due to coronavirus. “ He (Modi) saved thousands and lakhs of lives with the timely lockdown decision,” said Scindia.

Taking a dig at his former colleague, Kamal Nath, Scindia asked if the then Congress chief minister took any steps to help check the coronavirus situation in the state. Scindia then praised Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his “single-handed” fight against the epidemic.

“I wish to ask the then chief minister Kamal Nath if his government held any meeting on how to control the disease and did he visit any hospital or any poor’s house? Instead, what happened in the last 14 days of the then Congress government were appointments on various posts and he held a meeting on IIFA award function instead of Corona. He had no funds for fighting Covid-19 but had Rs 700 crore for the IIFA award function,” Scindia alleged.

Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar praised Scindia for backing Centre’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status even while he was in the Congress.

“Scindia ji appreciated the central government’s decision on Article 370 even when he was in Opposition. He raised several issues concerning people in Madhya Pradesh but the then Congress government was arrogant enough not to address his concern. In 2018, BJP could have formed its government by causing a defection but our principles didn’t allow us to do so,” said Tomar.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan again targeted Kamal Nath for not taking any steps to control coronavirus in the state.

“The government has come to know that moneylenders fleeced people during Covid situation. A law would be enacted so that people from weaker sections of society and tribals don’t have to repay loans taken from such moneylenders who don’t have a licence for the business and are authorised to take back their valuables they have pledged with moneylenders,” said Chouhan.