Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan 'admits' that BJP leadership toppled Kamal Nath govt

An audio clip in which Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is purportedly heard holding the BJP central leadership accountable for the fall of the Kamal Nath government has created a massive political flutter in Madhya Pradesh.

Chouhan’s reported comment is in sharp contrast with the BJP’s stated position that the party had no role in the fall of the Kamal Nath government which sunk due to the Congress’s own internal contradictions. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has emphatically articulated this stand several times.

The State BJP media in-charge Lokendra Parashar said he could comment only after listening to the audio clip.

When Jyotiraditya Scindia led a revolt with 22 Congress MLAs effecting the fall of the Kamal Nath government in March, the chief minister had asserted this was a result of infighting in the Congress and distanced the BJP from it.

Citing the audio clip, which has gone viral, the Congress has sought to know from Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether “it was him who murdered the democracy or it is just his chief minister’s usual empty-boasting?”

The audio clip is reportedly about the Chouhan’s discussion with BJP workers from Sanwer Assembly constituency at the Indore Residency Kothi on Tuesday.

The workers from minister Tulsi Silawat’s constituency were called to interact with the chief minister ahead of the by-elections in 24 Assembly segments including Sanwer.

Silawat was one of the six ministers in the Kamal Nath government who
resigned with Jyotiraditya Scindia in March.

In the viral audio, the chief minister is heard saying, “the central leadership decided that the government should fall. This (government) will ruin and destroy everything. Now tell me, could the government have fallen without the support of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Tulsi bhai? There was no other way. He was a minister there too, but he didn’t think of becoming the chief minister.”

Pointing to the impending by-election, the chief minister purportedly said, “And if Tulsi doesn’t become an MLA, will I continue to be the chief minister? Will the BJP government be saved? That’s why it’s the duty of every BJP worker, they shouldn’t think he came from somewhere else...that Tulsi Silawat is not fighting the election, you all are fighting it...This is the question of BJP’s dignity and honour.”

Reacting to the audio, state Congress media chief and former minister Jitu Patwari said the chief minister has revealed the truth that the BJP central leadership colluded with Scindia to plot toppling of the Kamal Nath government. It has vindicated the Congress allegations, he added.

The Congress leader said the party will move the President of India and the Supreme Court on this issue after consulting legal experts.