Shivraj, Scindia's late night meet creates ripples

Bhopal: The “sudden” late night ‘courtesy visit” by senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia to former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Monday has created a ripple particularly in the ruling Congress circle here.

Although, both Mr Scindia and Mr Chouhan called it a “mere courtesy call”, senior Congress leader and former Opposition leader Ajey Singh questioned the meeting, saying, “Mr Chouhan was never known to have made a courtesy call (to Mr Scindia. How come love blossomed between the two leaders suddenly?”

Mr Scindia, who arrived from Delhi late on Monday evening, paid a ‘courtesy visit’ to Mr Chouhan at the latter’s official residence.

“Mr Scindia dropped in houses of his two supporters here to condole deaths in their families. Later, suddenly he called Mr Chouhan for a meeting him. He arrived at Mr Chouhan’s official residence along with some of his supporters and later had a close-door meeting with Mr Chouhan that lasted nearly 45 minutes”, sources close to Mr Scindia said.

“It was a courtesy call. We exchanged our views on several issues”, Mr Scindia said while dismissing that he had any feeling of bitterness against Mr Chouhan.

“Rat gayee baat gayee (Let bygones be bygones)”, he quipped when his attention was drawn to the key campaign line of BJP mainly targeting him during the recently concluded assembly elections.

“We want Opposition and government should work in tandem for development of the state”, he remarked.

“There was no complaint or bitterness during our meeting”, Mr Chouhan said.

BJP however wondered why the meeting has uneased a section of Congress leaders. “Mr Chouhan had earlier paid courtesy visits to chief minister Kamal Nath and  senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh separately. No one talked about the meetings then. Why there is so much fuss about the meeting between Mr Chouhan and Mr Scindia now”, BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal wondered.