The Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress Government in Chhattisgarh on July 21 survived a no-trust motion moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the last day of the Monsoon session of the State Assembly.
The no-confidence motion was defeated by voice vote in the State Assembly shortly after 1 a.m. after a 13-hour debate.
While the Congress has 71 members in the 90-member Assembly, the BJP has 13 MLAs in the House.
The House witnessed a stormy debate over the no-confidence motion as the opposition members targeted the Congress Government over alleged scams, non-fulfilment of its poll promises and “deteriorating” law and order situation.
The treasury bench rejected the charges claiming that the Opposition failed to come up with any concrete issues and its charge-sheet lacks facts.
Replying to the debate, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the Opposition charge-sheet lacks facts and by bringing it, the BJP gave a chance to the government to highlight its achievements in the Assembly.
Shortly before CM concluded his speech, the BJP members started sloganeering against the government claiming that it failed to give replies to the opposition’s allegations and walked out from the House.
Slamming the Centre, Mr. Baghel said the Enforcement Directorate has been given enormous powers which is not in the interest of the country. “I strongly oppose the move to give powers to ED to probe GST related cases,” he added.
‘A bundle of lies’
With months to go for the Assembly elections, the BJP, despite a lopsided number game in the House, sought to use the opportunity to target the Congress regime over its alleged corruption and non-fulfilment of poll promises. The ruling party dismissed the allegations as “a bundle of lies”. It said the Bhupesh Baghel-led government had an inclusive approach while also promoting the cultural pride of the State.
Initiating the debate, senior BJP MLA and former Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said the government had turned “deaf and dumb” and become a “murderer of democracy”. He said the atrocities committed by the Baghel government against youths had surpassed those committed by the British rulers. The Opposition also brought up the nude protests held by youths from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities against people getting jobs based on forged documents.
Liquor scam
The two sides continued firing salvos at each other with the Opposition raising issues such as the alleged liquor scam that has dominated discourse over the past few months.
“The Congress government cannot do development of the State...it rather indulges in self welfare,” Mr. Agrawal alleged. The Opposition also took a dig at the government for recent changes in the Congress organisation and the Cabinet, even as Mr. Agrawal said the Chief Minister neither had faith in his Cabinet colleagues nor the party chief and vice versa.
The House also saw disruptions due to sloganeering following which Deputy Speaker Santram Netam adjourned the proceedings for five minutes.
Countering the Opposition’s charges, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravindra Choubey described the 109-page “charge sheet” submitted by the Opposition as hollow as he alleged the BJP-ruled Centre of stopping funds to Chhattisgarh.
(With inputs from PTI)
