Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 16 accused the Bhupesh Baghel government in Chhattisgarh of being involved in the lynching of a local youth with “appeasement and vote bank politics” in mind. The ruling Congress has described this as an attempt to communalise the elections and instigate riots.
The Congress has also demanded that the Election Commission of India take cognisance of the statement and initiate action against Mr. Shah.
Addressing a nomination rally in Rajnandgaon, his first public event in Chhattisgarh after the announcement of election dates, Mr. Shah referred to communal violence in Biranpur – a village nearly 70 kms away from Raipur – on April 8 in which a young man Bhuneshwar Sahu was killed. Mr. Shah’s BJP has fielded Bhuneshwar father, Ishwar Sahu, from the Saja constituency currently represented by veteran Congress leader Ravindra Choubey.
