By IANS,
Bhopal: Accusing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of protecting “corrupt ministers”, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh Sunday also alleged that his phone was being tapped by the state government.
“I am aware that my phone is being tapped by the Madhya Pradesh government but I don’t have any problem,” Singh – one of the four leaders whose phone was allegedly tapped by the central government – told a group of reporters here.
According to report in the recent edition of prominent newsmagazine Outlook, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government tapped the telephone conversations of important political leaders, including Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Prakash Karat as well as Digvijay Singh.
Asking Chouhan to seek resignation of state Industries Minister Kailash Vijayavargiya, who is embroiled in a land scam in Indore and against whom the lokayukta (ombudsman) has started investigation, Singh said Chouhan was instead protecting corrupt ministers in his cabinet.
“Several such ministers who were removed on the charges of corruption during the previous regime of Chouhan were re-inducted during his second tenure. What does this signify?” Singh asked, adding that the cases of all those who were allegedly involved in corruption should be handed over to lokayukta for a thorough investigations.
Singh also criticised the decision to convene a special session of the state assembly next month “to discuss the concept of Golden Madhya Pradesh”. “I will have to borrow glasses from Chouhan to see such a state,” he said.
On the Indian Premier League (IPL) controversy, Singh said that “though it can’t be denied that (IPL commissioner) Lalit Modi has taken the tournament to new heights, inquiry should be held to probe whatever wrong, if any, he has done”.