RAIPUR: Opposition Congress today moved a no-confidence motion against the Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh Assembly, stating that it had lost confidence in the BJP-led dispensation over a "series of developments", including the multi-crore PDS scam.
Raising the issue of yesterday's alleged attack on the house of state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel in the state capital, the Congress legislators termed it as an attempt to threaten the opposition for raising the issue of multi-crore Public Distribution System (PDS) scam exposed in state-run Civil Supplies Corporation.
Soon after the Question Hour, senior Congress leader Dhanendra Sahu said BJYM workers burnt the effigy of Baghel in front of his official residence, threw ink there and misbehaved with the leader of opposition T S Singhdeo.
"Cornered on the first day of the Monsoon session of the Assembly yesterday over the PDS scam, the frustrated youth workers of the ruling BJP tried to attack the Congress chief," Sahu alleged.
He also sought a discussion through an adjournment motion notice over the alleged irregularities in the Civil Supplies Corporation. Baghel also supported him on the issue.Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra said, "The BJYM activists staged a protest in front of Baghel's house in Shanti Nagar area on Monday and also threw ink like liquid on the wall of the house and police personnel deployed there to control the situation."
"The BJYM workers were booked under various prohibitory sections under civil line police station limits," he said, adding, that a large number of Congress workers, led by Vikas Upadhyay, Akash Sharma and others blocked Shankar Nagar Main Road and also damaged government property and nameplate of his official residence.
"They were also arrested for the ruckus," he added.
Condemning the incidents, Paikra said such acts should not be done with office-bearers of political parties and ministers.
Baghel alleged that the BJYM workers had reached his residence with the support of police.
"Without the direction of CM, such acts could not have been happened," he said.
Following an uproar over the issue, the Speaker adjourned the House for ten minutes.
When the House re-assembled, Industry and Commercial Tax minister Amar Agrawal alleged that Congress workers had staged the protest on the directions of Baghel, following which the opposition legislators started shouting slogans against the government.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo said Congress leaders were disappointed with the BJP-led government in Chhattisgarh right from the May 2013 Naxal attack on its leaders in Bastar.
Moving the no-confidence motion notice, Singhdeo said, "The Congress was compelled to move the no-confidence motion as it had lost confidence in the Raman Singh government in view of a series of developments that took place over a period of last two years."