BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and MP Congress Committee (MPCC) president Kamal Nath celebrated his 73rd birthday with family and close friends at his hotel in Manali (Himachal Pradesh) on Monday.
But back in MP capital Bhopal, political controversy erupted over an advertisement published in all premier newspapers by the MPCC to mark the CM's birthday.
The full-page advertisement published in the name of MPCC-Bhopal tracks Nath’s life journey as well lists nine points which make him special.
The nine points among other aspects mention, how in 1996 Lok Sabha elections, Nath was defeated in his pocket borough Chhindwara by BJP veteran and ex-CM Sunderlal Patwa.
Another point mentions that during the Janta Party government in 1979, the court had sent Sanjay Gandhi to Tihar Jail in a case, due to which Indira Gandhi was concerned about her son’s safety. Nath had then ‘intentionally’ argued with a judge and the court sent him for seven days to Tihar jail where he stayed with Sanjay Gandhi.
The most controversial point among the nine points mentions that Nath was in line for becoming the MP CM way back in 1993, but former CM Arjun Singh forwarded Digvijaya Singh’s name as the CM, owing to which Nath couldn’t become the MP CM then.
The full-page Hindi advertisement which contains pictures of all important national and state Congress leaders appeared in all major newspapers on Monday, and has left the ruling party red-faced.
The state Congress general secretary (organization) Chandra Prabhash Shekhar who addressed a press conference to mark 11 months of Kamal Nath government in power on Monday, denied that the advertisement was published in newspapers by the MP Congress Committee. “The concerned advertisement hasn’t been published by MPCC, we’ve ordered a probe into the issue.”
But state’s public relations minister PC Sharma and former state Congress chief and newly elected legislator Kantilal Bhuria (both considered close to Digvijaya Singh) alleged BJP’s hand behind the controversial advertisement.
State BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal reacted, “the politics played by the state Congress through the advertisement to sully the CM’s image on his birthday is shocking and shameful. Instead of finding the culprit among their own ranks, the Congress leaders are accusing BJP’s in the matter. There is no need for CBI or CID probe in the matter, as the public relations minister can easily find the culprit within five minutes through state’s public relations department.”