Barwani/Bhopal: Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Monday said the allegation made by Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari regarding the allotment of 500 acres of land was not factually correct, adding that the party had revised its stand after verifying official records.
Addressing a press conference, Singh said he personally examined the documents after the issue came into public discussion. He said the inquiry revealed that the land had been allotted to a government trust and not to any private individual or company.
“After examining the records, it was found that the land was allotted to a government trust. The Chief Minister is its ex officio chairman, the Culture Minister is the ex officio vice-chairman, and a government officer is its secretary. After the facts became clear, we clarified our position,” Singh said in a press conference during his visit to Barwani on Monday.
The clarification comes days after Patwari alleged that around 500 acres of government land had been allotted to a trust linked to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and he sought an explanation from the Chief Minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had rejected the allegation, maintaining that the allotment was made to a statutory government trust in accordance with the rules.
Singh said correcting the party’s stand on one issue should not be interpreted as giving the government a clean chit on other matters.
“I am not saying there is no corruption in Madhya Pradesh. There are several issues, including illegal sand mining, illegal liquor trade, land-use conversion and road construction, on which the government should place the facts before the public,” he said.
Referring to his recent visit to Barwani district, Singh alleged that illegal sand mining was continuing in the Sardar Sarovar submergence area despite repeated complaints from local residents. He also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in land-use conversions, saying such decisions should be transparent, as they fall within the government’s jurisdiction.
The former Chief Minister also questioned the financial transparency of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Referring to its claim of spending around Rs 7 crore on Covid-19 relief, he said details regarding the source and utilisation of the funds should be made public.
“If the source and utilisation of the funds are not disclosed, the matter should be examined under the relevant legal provisions,” Singh said.
On the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Singh reiterated the Congress’ stand that such a law should be introduced only after consultations with all religious communities and social organisations.
“In a democracy, governments are accountable to the people. Every serious issue raised in public life deserves a factual response, and the Chief Minister should clarify the government’s position on these matters,” he added.
(IANS)
