SCs, STs suffered when Congress got weakened: Jyotiraditya

Mandsaur: Atrocities on SCs and STs have increased whenever the Congress got weakened in Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Mandsaur on Monday. "Whenever the Congress got weakened in the state, atrocities on SCs/STs, backward castes and poor people increased," the Union minister of State for Energy (Independent Charge) said while addressing a public meeting after launching the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme.

He said that while the state government was supplying 24-hours power in urban areas, people in rural areas got it for hardly four hours a day though the bills were double the amount actually consumed. "Corruption is at its peak in the state. Law and order situation has collapsed totally and the state tops the country in crime against women," he alleged.

Plans are afoot to launch a Rs 53 crore Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification scheme for Mandsaur district's rural areas where below poverty line (BPL) card holders would get free electricity, he said. The Union minister also announced a Rs 8 crore electricity scheme for Mandsaur's urban areas.

Scindia said the Congress would not be short of issues against the ruling BJP government during the assembly polls.

Later, Scindia told reporters that the Congress would not be short of issues against the ruling BJP government during the year-end Assembly polls. He refused to reply to a question whether he was satisfied with the working style of state Congress president Kantilal Bhuria.

When asked about reports of his name being discussed in political circles for the post of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, he remarked, "I am just a party worker".

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