BJP warns Cong MLA of legal action after row over MP govt’s spending on social events

Bhopal: The winter session of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die after a debate on a ‘no-confidence’ motion brought by the Opposition Congress against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government.

The Congress brought the no-confidence motion while accusing the Shivraj government of spending over Rs 9 crore of public money between 2014-2018 on social, cultural and religious events, including a brainstorming session of RSS in 2016. However, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra strongly countered the allegations and even warned former minister and Congress MLA Jeetu Patwari of legal action for presenting a “half truth”.

On Friday, senior BJP leader Mishra, who is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the state Assembly, defended Shivraj government and hit back at Patwari while accusing him of presenting “wrong information” in the House.

“He (Patwari) put the ‘half truth’ about food and breakfast in the BJP office written in Appendix-A (of the detailed reported presented in the House). We will take the matter against him to the Question Reference Committee and demand action against him. Jeetu has misled the House,” Mishra said.

Patwari, the Congress MLA from Rau constituency of Indore district, on Thursday claimed that the public money was not only spend on social events, but also for events organised for RSS in 2016. “In these programmes, the state government offered a range of foods from Rs 550 a plate to Rs 2,000 a plate. The cost of a cup of tea was Rs 400,” Patwari had alleged.