During an informal chat with a group of local people including BJP MLAs Rajendra Shukla and KP Tripathi in Rewa the Governor was heard saying “This is an excellent project. It will benefit you all”. When a person said they were happy to meet her face-to-face She said “Aisa mauka kai baar aayega, Modi sahib par dhyan rakho”.

After the video circulated, Congress media cell head Shobha Oza alleged that Patel was behaving as if she was still a BJP worker. “If she wanted to work like a BJP worker it’s better she quits the gubernatorial seat and returns to full fledged politics” Oza said. Earlier too she was seen advising BJP workers at Satna airport how to get votes. “If you want to get votes you should visit homes of children, put your hand on their heads. Only then will you get votes”. The Governor was heard telling party workers. During her address in the Assembly, she did not read the point about farm loan waiver (announced by the newly elected Congress government) and read a BJP slogan which was not part of the written speech. “She should resign immediately” Oza demanded.

The BJP defended Patel. “The governor told the people to keep paying attention to Modi. What is wrong with that? Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the country. He is PM to every citizen. She meant to say help implement and reap benefits of schemes launched by Modi like Clean India, Ujjawala, Ayushman Bharat etc.” said Bhopal MP and BJP leader Alok Sanjar.

Shukla’s appointment as CBI Chief has evoked heated exchange between Congress and BJP leaders. Very serious criticism almost using unparliamentarily language has come from General Administration and Cooperative Minister Dr. Govind Singh. Singh while talking to media on Sunday raised several questions against Shukla. He alleged “Shukla is incompetent, coward and unsuccessful officer and that his appointment is made to scuttle the ongoing inquiry in the VYAPAM scam.

Singh further alleged that “When I was in opposition during the discussion on the Home department in the Vidhan Sabha I had raised the issue that Shukla is good for nothing and during his tenure crimes against women had increased and many people were killed during the Dalit stir. The officer had failed to control law and order in the state”. He added that “I had stated in the assembly that the DGP could be a tiger of Gwalior and Chambal but it turns out that he is a wolf under the guise of tiger”.

He alleged that “How can a person handle national level post when he could not even control law and order situation of a single state”.

He added “Modi government had appointed him to suppress the VYAPAM scam and also to ignore the scams done by the Modi government and also to create hurdles to the political parties who did not support the BJP”.

Besides Dr. Govind Singh, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh also raised some basic issues about Shukla’s appointment. While referring to the dissent note of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Digvijay Singh said “I congratulate Shukla, the first MP cadre officer to be appointed as director of CBI. He should have been made director of IB, when the present incumbent was given six months extension, because of his wide experience in IB” tweeted Singh on Sunday, adding that Congress will keenly observe Shukla’s moves in the VYAPAM scam probe.

“He has been given (charge of) CBI in which he doesn’t have the experience that he has of IB. Nevertheless now we shall see how the VYAPAM case progresses because he is personally fully aware of the facts of the actual culprits of VYAPAM case” Singh said in another post.

Meanwhile some remarks made by former Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan have become subject of ridicule. The other day while addressing a social media workshop at BJP state head office Chouhan said that despite the party’s rout in the recent assembly elections, he is still being welcomed as a ‘hero’ by the public.

“Though we lost the assembly elections, public love for me is still felt wherever I go, I am greeted and welcomed like a hero. People have understood the difference between Congress and BJP and with tears in their eyes they hope for a return of BJP to power” Chouhan told BJP workers at the workshop.

“Jab maine Janta se puchha ki hum se kya bhool hui to log bole bhool hum se ho gai Mama. Ab use sudhar lenge. (When I asked people what did we do wrong, they said that it was our fault and that we would fix it”) the former chief minister added.

He also gave tips on how to fight the Lok Sabha elections as a war in battleground of social media “The Lok Sabha election is a dharm yudh(crusade). A war between patriots and divisive forces. This is not an ordinary election. Neither a selection of a person. This is election to save India” he asserted. (IPA Service)