Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, who recently flagged a purported bid by the BJP to destabilise the Madhya Pradesh government by luring its MLAs, on Friday said there was “large scale dissatisfaction” among BJP workers in the State as they were caught in various scams, and were ready to shell out any amount of money as temptation.
“They [BJP leaders] gave thousands of crores worth contracts through e-tendering, and now the Economic Offences Wing is tightening its vice over them. Similarly, they indulged in a scam in Madhyam (Madhya Pradesh government's public relations agency) in which an FIR has been registered. So, they are worried and to save themselves, they are ready to spend any amount of money,” he told reporters in Bhopal.
Earlier this week on Monday, Mr. Singh had accused BJP leaders of luring its MLAs with offers of ₹25-₹35 crore to cross over, in an attempt to dislodge the Congress government.
“It was not ‘Operation Lotus’, but ‘Operation Money Bag’ involving big money bags,” the Congress leader said on Friday.
Mr. Singh dismissed Congress MLA Hardeep Singh Dang’s resignation on Thursday night, saying, “It is not his resignation, but a statement.”
Mr. Dang, legislator from Suwasra, in his resignation letter addressed to the Vidhan Sabha Speaker, had claimed Cabinet Ministers ignored his region while the Chief Minister paid no heed to his appeals. He is believed to be among the four MLAs suspected to be taken to Bengaluru by the BJP.
The Congress allegedly ‘rescued’ six MLAs from a Manesar hotel on Wednesday morning. On the remaining four returning to Bhopal, Mr. Singh said, “Where will they go? All MLAs are experienced, and they work as per their wisdom. No one is saving them, and no one is trapping them.”
Mr. Singh further asserted that the Congress government was entirely safe. “It is 100% safe. They said the government won’t last three months, but it’s been one and half years since it was formed.”
On a query regarding expansion of the State Cabinet, Mr. Singh said it must be done after the forthcoming Budget session.
