Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Wednesday held the BJP responsible for backwardness of Punjapura under the Khandwa Lok Sabha constituency and said people should identify "actor and director" in the saffron party for their own benefit.
Punjapura, an area in Dewas district, falls under the Khandwa Lok Sabha seat where a bypoll is scheduled on October 30.
Talking about the coronavirus pandemic, Nath sought to know if any compensation has been paid by the BJP government to the families of those who have died due to the infection.
Despite the BJP winning from the area for the last 60 years, there has been no development and people are forced to migrate in search of jobs, Nath said, addressing an election rally at Punjapura.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should seek an apology from people for not developing the area, the Congress leader said.
"The BJP has been winning from Punjapura for the last 60 years. Despite that there is no development of the region. Though situated on the banks of the Narmada River, there is a water crisis, there are no industries, no employment... all these have forced the people to migrate from here," Nath said.
The Congress has fielded former MLA Rajnarayan Singh Purni from the Khandwa Lok Saba seat, where Gyaneshwar Patil is the BJP's candidate.
Accusing Chouhan of making tall promises of development, but not fulfilling them, Nath said the BJP chief minister should give an account of what his party has done for Punjapura in the last 6 decades.
The former CM criticised Chouhan for announcing on a number of occasions to make Bagli, a town in Dewas district, a separate district, but not making good on his promise.
"There is an actor (Chouhan) in the state and a director (apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi) in the country and people should identify them for their benefit," Nath said without elaborating.
Referring to the coronavirus crisis, Nath said "On March 26, 2020, PM Modi had announced a package of Rs 20 lakh crore for helping people. In Dewas district alone, nearly 7,000 people have died because of COVID-19 and everybody knows about it. How many people succumbed due to lack of oxygen and Remdesivir drug? Did anyone get a single rupee as compensation?" Nath said though the result of upcoming bypolls in Madhya Pradesh will not affect the stability of the BJP government, it will certainly give a message to the nation that people can't be fooled all the time.
Besides the Khandwa Lok Sabha seat, by-elections are also due in Raigaon, Jobat and Prithvipur assembly segments in the state. Polling for all these bypolls will be held on October 30 and votes will be counted on November 2.
