New Delhi: Just days before the Madhya Pradesh by-elections, leaders of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during their campaigning were seen to be using highly derogatory and offensive remarks for each other, triggering fresh political rows in the BJP-ruled state.Congress leader and former chief minister Kamal Nath referred to state minister and BJP’s Dabra candidate Imarti Devi as an “item”. The Election Commission issued a notice to him for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct. It also sought an explanation from Nath on the issue in 48 hours.The BJP called Nath’s remark an insult to women as well as the Scheduled Caste community. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a tweet said that the Congress leadership has revealed its “feudal mindset” with such comments.Madhya Pradesh: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan observes a two-hour 'silent protest' in Bhopal, against former CM & Congress leader Kamal Nath's remarks wherein he referred to BJP leader Imarti Devi as "item". Other ministers of the state & leaders of the party also present. pic.twitter.com/NjtM4yBR5l— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2020From the BJP, minister for food and civil supplies Bisahulal Singh and party candidate from Anuppur allegedly called his Congress rival’s wife a “rakhail” (mistress). Singh is seeking re-election from the Anuppur seat of Anuppur district.According to reports, Singh said, “Vishwanath Singh (the Congress candidate) hasn’t mentioned in the nomination form about his first wife, but has instead mentioned only about his ‘rakhail’ aurat (concubine) in the form.” Reports said Vishwanath Singh remarried after his first wife passed away many years ago. He has mentioned his second wife Rajwati Singh’s name in the affidavit filed with the nomination form.After Rajwati Singh protested, Anuppur police registered a complaint against Bisahulal Singh for using an “obscene” word. The Congress complained to the state Election Commission and demanded that Singh be barred from the by-election. The state women’s commission has also sought an explanation from Bisahulal Singh over his comments.The by-elections to 28 constituencies in the state will happen on November 3 and the results will be announced on November 10.Also read: MP Bypolls: Congress Faces Uphill Task, but BJP’s Scindia and Chouhan Need Strong ShowingBrijesh Gautam, BJP district president for Anuppur, supported Singh and even claimed that such language is “used daily in the tribal belt”. Although he admitted the comment was inappropriate, he also said that the party will challenge the FIR against Bisahulal Singh.In another video clip, Bisahulal Singh was heard threatening Jayaprakash Aggarwal, the former Congress chief of Anuppur. “Teen November ke baad jo uski durdasha karunga woh koi nahi kar sakta. Mein usay raaste par le aaunga (No one can do what I will do to him after November 3. I will make him fall in line),” he said.J.P. Dhanopiya, legal head of Madhya Pradesh Congress, claimed that Singh had repeatedly violated the EC’s rules even in the past, but that no action has been taken so far.According to reports, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya took a dig at former chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, referring to them as “chunnu-munnu” and claimed that they could not mobilise more than 100 people for their meetings and rallies. “I was watching from the helicopter how many people come to their rallies, they could not manage to attract more than 100 people in their rallies during the last assembly election,” he said.Following this, former Congress minister Sajjan Singh Verma took a jibe at Vijayvargiya: “Have you forgotten the days when you wore bangles on your hands, draped a saree, wore nose rings and prayed to god, dreaming of becoming the chief minister.” He was campaigning for Congress candidate Premchand Guddu from Sanwer in Indore.Verma further said, “His nose has started expanding. As Dussehra comes closer, he starts resembling Ravan more and more.”Both the BJP and Congress are making every possible effort in the run-up to the by-elections in Madhya Pradesh. The elections will decide whether there will be a change of government in the state, where Congress lost power after more than 20 of its MLAs defected to BJP, pulling down year-old government of chief minister Kamal Nath.
