Congress wants BJP to sack tainted ministers

The Congress will mount pressure on the BJP to act against its ministers\\leaders facing corruption charges in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Gujarat after Mr Eknath Khadse stepped down. He is the second BJP heavyweight to resign from his post after Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa had to resign as Karnataka chief minister after he and his family were strongly indicted by the Karnataka Lokayukta in his report on illegal mining.

The Congress has already demanded action against BJP CMs — Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dr Raman Singh and Ms Vasundhara Raje — on the Vypam, rice and PDS scams and the mining scam and “Lalitgate” in Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan.

In Gujarat, Ms Anar Patel, the daughter of chief minister Anandiben Patel, has been accused of acquiring land at a discounted rate for construction of resorts that were never built and for obtaining agricultural land that was used for other purposes. And the latest is the scam in the GSPC. The Congress wants the '20,000 crore scam to be probed under a SC-monitored agency. If the BJP high command does not spare the senior most minister in Mahar-ashtra, Mr Eknath Khadse, then it should not protect CMs of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattigarh, Rajasthan and Gujarat and sacked them without a delay, it demanded.

The party’s stand has been explained by the AICC’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and the AICC general secretary in-charge of the party affairs in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

While the Congress fighting the “Vypaam” scam politically and legally in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Khadse’s resignation could open Pandora’s box, they felt. If the BJP is for a clean administration, then this should be reflected in MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Gujarat through an action against the party CMs,the Congress said.

And if the BJP high command does not against them, then it could send out a wrong message to the party in Maharashtra.

This is because Mr Khadse,a strong leader of the party from north Maharashtra who has strong support base among OBCs,would be seen as a victim of the BJP’s infighting.