Political drama over meeting of CM and former CMs in Madhya Pradesh

Congress leader and former CM Digvijaya Singh alleged that chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cancelled their meeting to discuss issue of displacement of villagers due to the Tame Irrigation project.

BHOPAL: Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh sat on a Dharna one km away from chief minister’s office on Friday after CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan allegedly cancelled their meeting to discuss issue of displacement of villagers due to the Tame Irrigation project.

Rajya Sabha MP and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh sat on a dharna near CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence. He was joined by Kamal Nath, another former CM. (File/ANI Photo)

The political drama began when the photos and videos of a meeting of Chouhan with MP Congress Committee president Kamal Nath at the state hangar in Bhopal went viral on social media.

After meeting with the CM, Kamal Nath joined the protest with Digvijaya Singh. Nath also got angry on media persons for asking questions on the purpose of his meeting with the CM.

Digvijaya Singh said he sought a time to meet the chief minister to discuss the matter of compensation against the displacement of villagers after five thousand hectares of land submerged due to the Tame irrigation project of Suthalia of Rajgarh, Bhopal and Vidisha districts. “More than 1500 families will be displaced but they are not getting enough compensation,” said Singh.

Singh said the CM’s office gave him time at 11 .15 am on Friday for meeting but he was informed on Thursday that the meeting was cancelled.

Singh said he will reach on time and will stage a protest because the CM has no time to listen to the issues of common people.

However, the meeting was cancelled as the CM went to attend a function in Dewas.

After the video of their meeting went viral on social media, Nath said, “We met accidentally as I was returning from the Chhindwara and the CM was leaving for Dewas. It was a courtesy meeting.”

He further said, “After I came to join Dharna, Digvijaya Singh informed me that he was seeking time for the past one-and-a-half months but the CM has no time to listen to him. We will stage protest with villagers who are being displaced without proper compensation.”

Later, the CM also said that we were crossing each other at state hangar and it was just a cordial meeting. “I told Digvijaya Singh to come and meet on January 23 but he is more interested in politicising the matter,” Chouhan said.