Vyapam scam: Congress trying to malign Shivraj Singh Chouhan's image ahead of polls, alleges MP minister

Minister Narottam Mishra questioned the timing of the private complaint filed in the Vyapam scam against the CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union minister Uma Bharti and others in the Vyapam scam.

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti (File | PTI)

BHOPAL: Just a few hours, after the opposition Congress once again alleged the involvement of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the multi-layered Vyapam scam, the ruling BJP responded by saying that instead of going to people ahead of assembly polls, the Congress had gone to court to dent the CM's image through baseless allegations.

"The Congress is bereft of public issues, which is why instead of going to people they have gone to the court, which only exposes the height of frustration they are going through. Unable to fight BJP and our CM on development issues before the people, the Congress is making baseless allegations to dent the CM's image," MP Minister for Public Relations and Parliamentary Affairs Dr Narottam Mishra told journalists on Saturday.

"The press conference by Congress leaders in support of their baseless allegations on Saturday reminds me of a similar press conference on the same issue four years ago, where the same allegations were made against the MP CM by them.

"It was our CM only who ordered whichever probe was demanded into the scam, but despite multiple agencies, including the MP STF, SIT and the CBI finding nothing to establish tampering of hard disc data, the Congress keeps on harping on it. The Congress doesn't believe in any probe agency, maybe it only believes in a probe by the Congress Committee," said Mishra.

"Just two days ago the Supreme Court dismissed a Congress leader's petition on the alleged dumper scam against our CM. The double judge bench of the apex court observed on Friday that election should be fought outside the court and not in the courtroom. Despite facing such embarrassment in the SC, the Congress is again brazenly venting its frustration of failing to strike a chord with people of the state by going to court again only with a motive of defaming the CM in another matter," maintained Mishra.

He also questioned the timing of the private complaint filed in the Vyapam scam against the CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union minister Uma Bharti and others in the Vyapam scam.

Union minister and ex-MP CM Uma Bharti made a series of tweets over a criminal complaint filed by Digvijaya Singh naming him among the seven persons, whose prosecution has been sought by him from a special court in Bhopal court in Vyapam scam related case.

"I came to know that the ex-MP CM is trying for fresh probe into the Vyapam scam. I'm restless to know how my name was linked to scam since March 2014. I'll be thankful to anyone who ultimately succeeds in finding its truth," tweeted Bharti on Saturday.

She further tweeted, "I'll be happy to know how deep the roots of Vyapam scam are, because it was me only who on December 6, 2013, had recommended the MP government to go for a CBI probe into the alleged scam."

She also reminded the Congress leaders about how in the past, just to avenge the disclosure of Bofors scam, the name of ex-PM VP Singh's son Ajay Singh was linked falsely to the St Kitts forgery case, but the Congress leaders ultimately got nothing except embarrassment for it.