BJP seeks votes in name of cows, but has never served them: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) only seeks votes in the name of cows, but has never served them.

Speaking at 'Bharose ka Sammelan' programme in his constituency Patan in Durg district, the chief minister slammed the BJP's claims about the absence of cows at "gauthans" (cow shelters) in the state.

"BJP leaders and workers have been visiting 'gauthans' and claiming that there are no cattle at these shelters. People of Chhattisgarh know that in summers cattle are left to graze outside in the afternoons and only brought back in the evenings," Baghel said.

"You (the BJP) ask for votes in the name of cows, but have never served them. You do not know Chhattisgarh. We know when garwa' (cattle) is at a khar (a place for cattle resting and grazing) or gauthan, he said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister transferred Rs 2,800 crore in bank accounts of beneficiaries of various government schemes.

A total of Rs 111 crore was transferred in the accounts of labourers, while Rs 7.71 crore was released for 3,085 Rajiv Yuva Mitan clubs in 13 districts and Rs 13 crore was disbursed under Godhan Nyay Yojana, Baghel said.

In all, Rs 2,800 crore was transferred in the accounts of people from different classes, he said.

Addressing the gathering earlier, state Congress in-charge Kumari Shailja said the time has come to remove the BJP.

I am seeing the dream of Rajivji (late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi) taking shape here. Today, we are showing Chhattisgarh model to everyone. It is the hard work of our government in the last four and half years, she said.