Bhopal:Congress leader Kamal Nath was sworn in as the 18th chief minister of Madhya Pradesh on Monday under the cloud of protests over his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which his party colleague Sajjan Kumar was awarded a life sentence.
Responding to the BJP’s attacks on his alleged involvement in the riots, CM Kamal Nath claimed that there was no FIR, case or chargesheet registered against him regarding the matter.
Defending himself, the newly-appointed Chief Minister said, “I had taken oath in 1991 and I remained the Delhi in-charge in the past, but the issue wasn’t raked up then, so you all know well why all this is happening now.”
When asked whether he was ready for a probe given the eyewitnesses of his presence outside the Gurdwara during the riots, Nath laughed off saying, ‘Ye kya aapko kaha hai (Have they told you this)?”
Nath, then, drifted to the Congress’ farm loan waiver promise. He stated that immediately after assuming office, he waived off farm loans up to Rs 2 lakhs. He also came down heavily on banks for waiving off 50-60% loans of Industrialists but throwing a fir for doing the same for the poor farmers.
Lashing out at the economists who claim that loan waivers impact the economy, he said, “They simply deliver a lecture, nothing else. The UPA had in the past also waived off farm loans of defaulters.”
The CM also approved provisions of Rs 51,000 cash offered as monetary assistance under Kanya Vivah Yojana.
“I have issued orders to ensure the extension of benefits of investment incentives to outside manufacturers, only if they offer 70% jobs to the local youths,” he said.
The new CM also announced building four Garment Parks in MP for “creating economic activities in Madhya Pradesh.”
Addressing the issue of corruption, Nath said, “It starts from the villages itself. I won’t tolerate those officers who fail to do the work.”
Regarding the proposed ban on RSS activities inside government offices, Nath said, “We are only following Centre’s rules.”
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