The Congress is reportedly miffed over Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdeo’s praise for the Modi government at the Centre. Singhdeo, while sharing the stage with the Prime Minister at an event in Raigarh on 14 September showered praises on the Central government.
“You have come here today to give something. You have given a lot of things to Chhattisgarh, and I trust that in the future too, you will keep providing us with more,” the deputy CM said.
He added, “We have always worked under the guidance of the Central government, and I do not want to miss out on saying that, in my experience, I did not feel any partiality… In the state, when we asked for something from the Central government, they… never denied help. And I believe that going forward, the state and Centre will work together in all the fields to take our country and state forward.”
Prime Minister Modi bowed his head with joined hands signalling gratitude and also shook hands with him later. A clipping of the same went viral across X, formerly Twitter.
#PMModi: छत्तीसगढ़ के उपमुख्यमंत्री और वरिष्ठ कांग्रेस नेता टीएस सिंह देव ने गुरुवार को रायपुर में मंच पर PM मोदी की तारीफ करते हुए कहा कि उन्हें "कभी नहीं लगा कि प्रधान मंत्री ने राज्य के साथ भेदभाव किया है।"#TSSinghDeo #Congress #Chhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/5B2FWs16hF
— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) September 15, 2023
BJP leaders also shared the same criticising Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for accusing the Centre of allegedly not implementing schemes in the state while his deputy claimed otherwise.
Chhattisgarh Congress Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo elaborating how the Modi govt has done development in Congress ruled Chhatisgarh, without any discrimination.
— Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) September 15, 2023
The Center always fulfills every demand of the state govt for the development of Chhattisgarh.#Modi4PM2024 pic.twitter.com/3UtfsfQv60
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel has upped his ante against the BJP with elections approaching. He often blames the Centre for not allotting the money or implementing schemes in the state.
#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: CM Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel says, "PM Modi came here and served lies. He lied in Raipur that they buy the rice, but the Chhattisgarh government buys it…The corridor that he (PM Modi) inaugurated, how many passengers will ride on it? He has come… pic.twitter.com/48mE6JyPnt
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) September 16, 2023
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) was reportedly perturbed at the heaps of praises bestowed upon the Prime Minister by their senior leader ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections.
Explaining his statement at the event, TS Singhdeo told The Indian Express that he said such words keeping in mind the dignity of the Prime Minister. “There is a tradition of hospitality in our state. Things were said at a government forum keeping in mind the dignity of the Prime Minister. I did not want to get involved in allegations and counter-allegations on the platform. My statement was only related to the demands of my department.”
A Congress spokesperson reportedly said that Singhdeo was merely being respectful to the PM’s chair. Chhattisgarh Congress’ media cell in-charge Sushil Anand Shukla said, “Singh Deo-ji was sharing the stage with the PM and hence he was being diplomatic.”
Mallikarjun Kharge displeased with TS Singhdeo, say reports
The senior Congress leader was, however, pulled up by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at the CWC meeting expressing his disappointment. The deputy CM was prompted to issue an apology for his praises for the PM.
This came after TS Singhdeo had reportedly already apologised to the Congress in-charge for Chhattisgarh Kumari Selja after she pointed out the mistake to him.
A leader present at the meeting reportedly said, “He (Kharge) told Singh Deo that his apology will not undo the mistake. He asked Singh Deo and all other CWC members to be careful and not praise the PM unnecessarily.”
“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge then told him that despite being sorry, the damage had been done. As a deputy Chief Minister and a senior member, people would take his words seriously,” the leader reportedly added.
The Congress also cited the example of Singdeo in order to caution other leaders.
Furthermore, the Chhattisgarh deputy CM took to X issuing a public apology the next day. “There has always been a tradition of hospitality in our state and the entire country. At an official forum, some things were said keeping in mind the dignity of the Prime Minister. I did not want to get involved in the politics of allegations and counter-allegations through the platform. And, my statement was only related to the demands of my department,” TS Singhdeo wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
हमारे प्रदेश, पूरे देश में सदा अतिथि सत्कार की परंपरा रही है।
— T S Singhdeo (@TS_SinghDeo) September 15, 2023
एक शासकीय मंच पर, प्रधानमंत्री जी की गरिमा को ध्यान में रखते हुए कुछ बातें कही गईं थी।
मंच के माध्यम से मैं आरोप-प्रत्यारोप की राजनीति में नहीं पड़ना चाहता था। और, मेरा वक्तव्य केवल अपने विभाग की माँगों से संबंधित…
But the Congress had already gotten into damage control mode. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said that Singhdeo was only following “protocol”. He said that the deputy CM had not brought up any divisive issue or made a political statement.
Jairam Ramesh added that Singhdeo’s conduct was “unlike the Prime Minister who abused the Congress from every government function”.
This comes after TS Singhdeo was made deputy Chief Minister in the Baghel government in June to prevent the two leaders from sparring with state elections approaching fast.
