Congress wants to kill me, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday accused the Congress of instigating an attack on him and challenged Ajay Singh Rahul, the constituency’s MLA, to fight him in the open, in the electoral battle instead.

Late on Sunday night, stones were pelted at Mr Chouhan’s “chariot” while he was campaigning in Patpara village, under Churhat Assembly constituency. No one was hurt, but a windowpane of the vehicle was damaged, police said. The Congress has denied any involvement in the attack.

“The attack has clearly established that Congress is baying for my blood. They (Congressmen) can kill me. But I am not going to be cowed down by such an act of cowardice by them. We may have ideological differences, but there is no place for violence in democracy. Everyone has right to go to the people to express one’s views. Madhya Pradesh has never witnessed such an incident earlier. It is not good for democracy and not good for Congress”, he told reporters here on Monday.

Churhat is the assembly constituency of Congress leader Ajay Singh Rahul, who is also the leader of Opposition in the assembly.

Accusing the CLP leader of instigating Congress-men to attack him, Mr Chouhan said, “I challenge him (Ajay Rahul Singh) to fight me in electoral battle ground. I am servant of people and no force can stop me from approaching them directly. I have come thus far on the strength of my hard work, unlike him who acquired his position because of his father (late MP chief minister Arjun Singh)”.

“I am physically weak but I won’t be bogged down by your deeds. The people of the state are with me,” the chief minister added.

Ajay, however, said no Congressman was involved in the incident, terming it a well-thought-out conspiracy to defame him and the people of Churhat.

As many as 50 people, including local block Congress committee president Ram Vilash Patel, Sidhi district Congress IT cell chief Pankaj Singh, and local youth Congress leader Ranjana Mishra have been arrested in this connection.

State home minister Bhupendra Singh on Monday claimed that there was a conspiracy to kill the chief minister because of the huge public response his ongoing “Jan Ashirvad Yatra” was receiving in the state.

“The Congress has started a new politics of violence. The Congress knows it cannot come to power in the state due to Chouhan. That is why Congress leaders are hatching conspiracies to kill Chouhan… All those who were arrested in connection with the incident are Congressmen close to the CLP leader,” he said.

The arrests have been made on the basis of eyewitness accounts and more arrests cannot be ruled out, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said, adding that Mr Chouhan’s security has been ramped up.

While some Congress leaders accused the BJP of running a smear campaign against the party, MP Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Kamal Nath condemned the attack and called for an impartial probe into the incident.

“Appropriate action will be taken by the party if any Congressman was found to be involved in the incident”, he said.

“They are claiming the arrested accused are Congress office-bearers. The home minister, please give us details of the accused with their positions in the Congress,” state Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said.

The chief minister is touring the state to canvas support for the ruling BJP ahead of year-end Assembly polls. The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003 and is seeking a record fourth term in the state.