‘Divider in-chief’ title to Modi is right: Kamal Nath

Bhopal, May 13 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Monday said that the title 'Divider in-chief given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Times magazine was right and feels that the publisher was in fact kind to him.

Talking to IANS, Kamal Nath said: "What did Modi not divide? He has divided the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India), Judiciary and the Election Commission.

"The title given to him by the Time magazine is absolutely correct. I say they were in fact very kind to Modi."

Modi, without naming Kamal Nath, had attacked him for the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

To this, the Chief Minister replied: "In the last 34 years, no one accused me, nobody filed an FIR. None of the commissions called me guilty. But the Prime Minister is now accusing me. This is the limit."

Kamal Nath, the Congress face from Chhindwara Assembly seat, has been active in politics for more than four decades.

He is bitterly opposed to the language the Prime Minister uses about his rivals. "Such language has not been used in any democracy in the world."

Asked why Pakistan, Rajiv Gandhi and personal issues were raised during election campaign, he said: "Elections should be fought on the topic on development. The ruling party has no answer to questions raised over the promises they made in the last elections. That is why they are using Rajiv Gandhi's name, national security and nationalism to seek votes. They called (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi a foreigner. The BJP knows how to divert the topic."

The Congress in its manifesto has promised NYAY scheme under which poor families will given Rs 72,000 annually, Rs 6,000 monthly and Rs 360,000 in five years.

"The scheme will prove very beneficial for the country. It will be a new beginning... The scheme does not just give money to poor families but it will inject money into the economy," Kamal Nath said.

Kamal Nath, elected nine times for the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, became the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in December and got just 75 days before the model code of conduct came into force on March 10 ahead of the ongoing parliamentary elections.

"When I got the post, the state held the first position when it came to farmer suicides, rape, unemployment, corruption and crime. The BJP handed over the state in such a condition. We had to first axe the farmers' debt. Debts of 21 lakh farmers have been waived off."

Recently, the Income Tax department raided several place in the state in which it recovered crores of rupees. Those involved in the case were dubbed close to Kamal Nath.

Kamal Nath said: "Who are these people whom the BJP is calling my close aides? I don't even know them. Some of them have accepted that they belong to the BJP."