In an interesting move, the Madhya Pradesh Congress decided to mark March 20 – the day its 15-month government collapsed last year—as ‘Loktantra Samman Diwas’ (day to respect democracy).
The party said it was to protect democracy that Kamal Nath rejected the politics of horse-trading practiced by the BJP and tendered resignation as chief minister on March 20, and hence the party decided to observe the day as ‘Loktantra Samman Diwas’.
The BJP, however, took a dig at the Congress saying the latter is planning to observe the day as ‘frustration day’. “MP Congress has not yet recovered from the shock of losing its government in the state and is observing the day out of frustration. The party should rather have introspected as to why people got disillusioned with them and should have taken some remedial steps,” MP BJP chief spokesperson Deepak Vijayvargiya said while talking to THE WEEK.
Earlier on Wednesday, state vice president and organisation in-charge of the Congress, Chandra Prabhash Shekhar, said in a press conference that by staying away from politics of manipulation, horse-trading and illegal switchovers, Kamal Nath showed respect to the Indian democracy and the Constitution of India. His move has made all the Indians proud, Shekhar added.
He further said people of Madhya Pradesh had decided to change the BJP government after 15 years and therefore given the reins of the state to the Congress led by Kamal Nath. But the BJP used money power to fell the democratically elected Congress government, insulting people’s mandate, democracy and Constitution.
Shekhar said given the work done by Kamal Nath government within a year, the BJP understood that if the Congress government were to complete its five-year tenure, the BJP would lose its chances of making a comeback in the state and thus indulged in the illegal and undemocratic move.
He said rather than becoming part of the undemocratic turn of events, Kamal Nath decided to resign on March 20, 2020. To mark a year of this day, tiranga yatras (tricolor rallies) will be taken out at all district headquarters, and the preamble of Indian Constitution will be read out and distributed among people. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar will be garlanded, and a video address of MP Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath will be telecast in all Congress offices.