Kharge tells extended CWC not to praise PM unnecessarily

On Saturday, the Congress Working Committee had adopted a resolution criticising the Modi’s government’s systematic undermining of the federal structure.

Hyderabad: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told the extended CWC not to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi unnecessarily after Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister T S Singh Deo apologised suo motu for complimenting Modi at an event in Raigadh on Thursday.

Rangareddy, Sept 17 (ANI): Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi with party President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana party chief Revanth Reddy(Congress Twitter)

Sharing the stage with the PM, Singh Deo had said, “You have come here today to give something. You have given a lot of things to Chhattisgarh. And I have confidence that in the future too, you will provide us more.” He also added, “…in my experience, I did not feel any partiality. If the state wanted something from the Centre, the government always cooperated.”

While the Congress initially dubbed Singh Deo’s remarks as a courtesy, at the meeting of the extended CWC, the Chhattisgarh minister apologised for his comments. For the past many months, Singh Deo’s demand to replace Bhupesh Baghel as the chief minister was overlooked. In July this year, less than six months before Chhattisgarh goes to the polls, he was made the deputy CM in a balancing act.

But Kharge, who is leading the Congress’ attack against the PM in Parliament and elsewhere, expressed his disappointment. “He told Singh Deo that his apology will not undo the mistake. He asked Singh Deo and all other CWC members to be careful and not praise the PM unnecessarily,” said a leader present in the meeting.

On Saturday, the Congress Working Committee had adopted a resolution criticising the Modi’s government’s systematic undermining of the federal structure and its allegedly discriminatory attitude against Opposition-ruled states.

“The Modi government has systematically undermined federalism through overriding legislation, reduction in the states’ share of tax revenues, misuse of the office of the Governor, creating roadblocks in implementing schemes and programmes in Opposition-governed states (like it has happened in regard to the food security guarantee in Karnataka), and denying emergency funds and disaster relief to states like Himachal Pradesh that have been hit by floods and landslides,” it said.