Bhopal, April 3 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Vishvas Sarang strongly criticised the Congress party for its reaction to the disqualification of Datia MLA Rajendra Bharti, accusing it of habitually opposing constitutional processes while claiming to protect the Constitution.

Speaking from his office at ‘74 Bungalows’ in Bhopal, Sarang said: “The Congress party has become habituated to opposing every constitutional process in this country. On one hand, its leaders loudly proclaim their desire to protect the Constitution, yet on the other, they consistently flout it in their efforts to shield corrupt individuals.”

He added that Congress state president Jitu Patwari attempted to shield a corrupt individual by entering the Legislative Assembly in an “unconstitutional manner”.

Sarang emphasised that the case against Datia MLA Rajendra Bharti is not a partisan political issue but a corruption case.

“This corruption case does not date back to the tenure of the BJP government, but rather to the time when the Congress party was in power,” he pointed out, referring to the period when Digvijaya Singh was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

The minister’s remarks came in response to the Congress’ strong criticism following the disqualification of Bharti after his conviction in a 28-year-old cooperative bank fraud case by a Delhi court.

Meanwhile, BJP State President and MLA Hemant Khandelwal described the matter as entirely judicial and not linked to any political party.

“The court has taken action based on the evidence presented. All political parties — whether BJP or Congress — should respect this decision,” he said. Khandelwal asserted that the BJP fully supports the court’s verdict and will abide by its directives.

He clarified that decisions regarding termination of membership or by-elections rest with the Election Commission of India and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and will be taken strictly as per constitutional procedures.

“The allegations being levelled by the Congress party are baseless. This entire process falls under the purview of the judiciary and constitutional institutions. The BJP has no direct involvement in this judicial process,” Khandelwal added.

Both leaders maintained that the disqualification is a purely legal and constitutional matter arising from the court’s order dated April 2, 2026, and the subsequent notification issued by the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

The development has intensified the political debate in the state, with the ruling BJP urging respect for judicial decisions and the Congress accusing the government of selective haste.

–IANS

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