Chhattisgarh government to withdraw 'political cases' filed under BJP rule

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said “political cases” filed against workers of political parties during the previous BJP government in the state will be withdrawn. He said political cases against workers of student unions and political parties will be revoked. Baghel was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) at the Medical College auditorium in Raipur. “Several fake cases were registered against NSUI student workers who had staged protests (under the BJP rule) in support of their demands and those cases will be revoked.

“Even former Chief Minister Raman Singh had lodged cases against his opponents within the BJP. All those cases will also be withdrawn on the basis of merit,” Baghel said.

In an apparent reference to Raman Singh’s son Abhishek Singh, the MP from Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency, in context of the Panama Papers scandal, Baghel said, “Nawaz Sharif of Chhattisgarh is roaming free”.

In the past, Singh and his son have denied any link to the scandal and termed the Congress allegations baseless and politically motivated. “During NSUIs programme in Rajnandgaon (ahead of assembly polls),a slogan was raised that who is Nawaz Sharif of Chhattisgarh. But the Nawaz Sharif of Chhattisgarh is roaming free,” he added.

Baghel said his government has just “removed dust” from some files left by the previous government and all hell has broken loose. “We have just removed dust spread on some files and a hue and cry has started. Still, there are lots of files to be opened because the entire conspiracy was hidden in those documents,” he added.

Asked to whom he was referring by calling Nawaz Sharif, Baghel said, “The person whose name has been cropped up in the Panama Paper leak. In the Panama scandal, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was jailed. In the same issue, some names also featured from Chhattisgarh. “On the residential address of former chief minister, an (offshore bank) account was opened and it will be probed,” he said.

Baghel informed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be on a day-long visit to Chhattisgarh on January 28 to express his gratitude to people and farmers who had blessed the party with a three-fourths majority in the November assembly polls. Certificates of loan waiver will be distributed to farmers at a function to be attended by Gandhi, he added.