The Congress today accused the Chhattisgarh BJP minister Brij Mohan Aggarwal of grabbing forest land in Mahasamund district of the state and demanded his immediate dismissal.
The Congress also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue after his "tall claims" of not indulging in corruption or allowing anyone to do so.
Chhattisgarh Congress in-charge P L Punia said Aggarwal had illegally grabbed forest land in village Jalki in Mahasamund district and constructed a resort in his wife's name, and the BJP and Modi were silent on the issue.
"We demand that Aggarwal be immediately sacked and a thorough probe be ordered into the land grab after registration of an FIR against him," he said, alleging the minister had forcibly grabbed forest land.
Punia also said, "We would like to remind the prime minister of his words 'Na khaoonga, na khane doonga' (Neither will I indulge in corruption, nor allow anyone to do so), but he has not acted against Aggarwal even after the issue has come to his notice."
Another Congress leader Pramod Tiwari hit out at the BJP for its "double standards" saying when it comes to others they talk loudly about corruption but when it comes to taking action against those indulging in corruption within their party they turn silent and there is no action.
He said the BJP has time for targeting a Karnataka Congress minister with income tax raids, but is not interested in probing a scam worth crores.
"When all probes have established that he has grabbed forest land and illegally constructed a resort on that, no action is taken against Aggarwal and neither is an FIR registered. This means BJP adopts double standards and different yardsticks when it comes to corruption by its own people," he said.
Congress MP from Chhattisgarh Chhaya Verma said it was "shameful" that a minister was doing all this. She demanded that the prime minister act against him and carry out a thorough probe into the issue.
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