MP: BJP dubs Kamal Nath ‘Chinese agent’; burns effigies

The allegations against ex-CM Kamal Nath come ahead of crucial by-polls

Kamal_Nath_effigy_burn Kamal Nath's effigy being burnt in Bhopal by BJP members

Ahead of the crucial by-polls in the state, the Madhya Pradesh BJP has decided to pull ex-chief minister Kamal Nath into the China row, calling him a ‘Chinese agent’ and a ‘traitor’.

The ruling party has alleged that as Union commerce minister, Nath had significantly reduced import duties on Chinese items and, in turn, the Congress party and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received huge sums from China.

On Sunday, effigies of Kamal Nath were burnt all over the state as a mark of protest. The Madhya Pradesh BJP also used hashtags like ‘Chin ka dalal’ (Chinese agent) and ‘Desh ka gaddar’ (traitor) on social media on the occasion.

In Bhopal, state president Vishnu Dutt Sharma led the effigy burning and said that Kamal Nath got into unfair deals with China to benefit the Congress party and Chinese companies. His action of reducing the import duty led to huge loss of livelihood for the domestic artisans and small traders. “It is misfortune of Madhya Pradesh that such a person was made the chief minister of the state,” Sharma said.

The attack on Nath started two days ago with BJP vice-president Prabhat Jha first calling him a Chinese agent and saying that this complicity with China during UPA regime was the reason why Rahul Gandhi and Congress were speaking the language of China at a time when nation’s Army was in a face-off with the Chinese.

Countering the allegations through a series of tweets, Kamal Nath said that BJP always uses lies as distraction from real issues. “The party has always taken up false issues to mislead the people. BJP always flares up such issues which are false, of which there is no evidence, which are years old, which have no links to the present. If this (the allegations) was so, why was the BJP silent for so many years. People who have constantly been friends with China, made regular visits to the country, took pride in their friendship are now raking up false allegations to save themselves,” Nath said.

He also said that the Congress will continue to agitate for the real issues of people like COVID-19 mismanagement, fuel price hike, exorbitant electricity bills and farmers’ issues.

Ex-minister P.C. Sharma also said that after China, even Nepal is taking on India. “There is no response to the conflict with China, fuel prices are constantly increasing and there are several other issues. BJP is afraid of Kamal Nath and therefore raking up such issues before by-polls,” he said.

The minister also reached the T.T. Nagar Police Station in Bhopal later, demanding registration of case against the BJP for using foul language against Kamal Nath in its protest letter.