BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday lashed out at the Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh and said it will meet the same fate as that of the Ajit Jogi dispensation, which was ousted from power in the 2003 Assembly polls.
Chhattisgarh Assembly polls will be held on November 7 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 3.
Addressing a press conference at Ekatma Parisar, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Raipur city office, the former Union minister also took a swipe at Congress over its demand for a caste census.
Rahul Gandhi should learn from his grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi who had said rise above caste lines, Prasad added.
"CM Bhupesh Baghel reminds me of Ajit Jogi ji. There was a reign of terror during the Jogi government...media was scared of speaking against Jogi ji. Bhupesh Babu, you will meet the same fate as that of Jogi Ji. Your fitting, setting and cutting is quite similar to that of Jogi ji," he said.
"You believe whatever you think is right and the entire state is with you. Bhupesh ji has learned a good thing from Jogi ji as the latter used to keep his party in Delhi happy. Under the present Congress rule, an ATM (BJP's allegation about state government collecting party funds through dubious means) has opened," he alleged.
Jogi, who headed the Congress government in the state from 2000 to 2003, floated JCC(J) in 2016. He died in 2020.
The "gauthan scam" in Chhattisgarh reminds one of the fodder scam in Bihar under Lalu Prasad Yadav, said Prasad, who is Lok Sabha MP from Patna Sahib in the eastern state.
Attacking the Congress, the BJP leader said, "I want to ask if there is a caste census, will it be implemented in the Congress? Will it (rights as per proportion in population) be implemented in the Congress or will it continue to be about Indiraji, Rajivji, Soniaji, Rahulji and Priyankaji?"
"In Bihar, there was Laluji who went to jail, and then Rabriji came and then Tejashwi and daughter Misa Bharati. (In UP), it was Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav. In Bengal, Mamataji's nephew is looking to replace her. How long will this deception continue," Prasad questioned.
Asked if the BJP saw the Congress' demand for a caste census as a challenge, he said his party honestly works for the upliftment of all segments of society and citizens know it is the BJP that has given the country an OBC prime minister, while a tribal woman became President during its rule.
"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi to have a look at the statement of his grandmother Indiraji that 'we have to rise above caste lines'. He should learn something from his grandmother," Prasad said.
He also slammed Congress leader Pawan Khera for claiming the BJP does not follow 'raj dharma' (governance on the basis of righteousness and principles).
Prasad said the Congress has not spoken about objectionable remarks made against Sanatan Dharma and asked if this was the party's 'raj dharma'.
"They haven't answered about what the son of their national president (Mallikarjun Kharge) and (CM) Bhupeshji's father said," he added.
Bhupesh Baghel claims to be a devotee of Lord Ram then why is he silent on his father's statement, Prasad asked.
He also said the Congress government in the state was not taking action on religious conversion.
-With PTI Input
