Congress deputy CM TS Singhdeo's 'no bias' praise for PM Modi, calls it ‘hospitality’

Chhattisgarh deputy CM TS Singhdeo praised Centre in front of PM Modi, clarified later calling it ‘hospitality’ keeping in mind ‘PM’s dignity'.

With PM Modi sitting on the dais, Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister TS Singhdeo recently said the Centre showed no bias to the Congress-ruled state when it came to development works and going forward, the state and the centre should work together. PM Modi was in the poll-bound state to inaugurate rail sector projects in Raigarh on Thursday. As soon as TS Singhdeo acknowledged the central government, PM Modi folded his hands responding to the compliment coming from the political rival. This, however, became an issue of political debate as to whether chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his deputy chief minister are not on the same page.

PM Modi, present at the stage, folded his hands acknowledging Congress leader TS Singhdeo's praise.

"I must say I never saw any bias. If the state wanted something from the centre, the government always cooperated," the deputy chief minister said in the presence of PM Modi.

As his statement became a political issue in the poll-bound state with BJP saying every Congressman will have to praise PM Modi in the state, the deputy chief minister clarified his statement and said there is a tradition of hospitality in Chhattisgarh and the country. "Some statements were made at an official event keeping in mind the dignity of the Prime Minister. I do not want to get into the politics of allegations-counter allegations. My statement was only related to the demands my departments made," the minister who holds the health portfolio apart from many other ministries in the state said.

BJP shared the clip of TS Singhdeo's praise and asked chief minister Bhupesh Baghel whether he would apologise for the 'false propaganda' that he was spreading against the Centre in the state.

A rival of Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singhdeo was made the deputy chief minister in June with a few months left for the election. The move was to avoid a situation like that in Rajasthan between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot as in Chhattisgarh too, there has been power struggle between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singhdeo.