Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday demanded an apology from the Congress over its leader Jitu Patwari’s statement alleging that officials were paying money to the BJP government to get postings of their choice.
In a public meeting during the Congress’ Kisan Nyay Yatra on Friday, state president Patwari alleged that the Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) District Magistrate had paid money to get the post. He claimed, “I would like to tell the journalists that a sting operation should be done against the Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) District Magistrate. He will reveal how much money he paid to buy the post.
Superintendent of Police, Tehsildar, Patwari, SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate), Thana Prabhari and not a single officer or employee gets a police station or posting (without paying money). This is the truth of the BJP government.” Reacting to Patwari’s comment, the Chief Minister said that the language used by the Congress leaders for the officers and employees of Narmadapuram district is insulting.
He said, “The state government stands with all its officers and employees and the Congress should apologise.” The chief minister said the Congress has been out of power in the state for more than 20 years and even when they came to power for a short while (15-month Congress rule in 2019-20), they failed to run the government.
He said that the officers and employees of the state government are honest. Yadav said, “No one can question their (officers’) integrity and the working of the government. They should work fearlessly for the welfare of the people.”
Senior Congress leader and Patwari’s media advisor K K Mishra, while talking to PTI, supported the party’s state president’s statement. “Recently, an additional district magistrate level officer was caught taking bribe in his office. They take bribe to compensate for the money spent to get their post,” Mishra said. He said if what the chief minister said is true, then the state government should release the list of rates of bribes taken for government work.