Indore, Jan 14 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday said that “challenges will not be resolved by speaking ill of each other” and can only be addressed through collective effort.

The Minister made the remarks in the backdrop of the contaminated water tragedy in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area while addressing a state government programme under AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) in the city.

“Challenges will come and go, and we will have to face them. They won’t be resolved by speaking ill of each other. Those who are protesting here in Indore, I can tell them what the BJP has done for the development of Indore,” Vijayvargiya said, in an apparent reference to the opposition Congress, which has been accusing the BJP government over the water contamination incident.

Highlighting the years-long effort behind making Indore the cleanest city in the country, Vijayvargiya said he would challenge anyone who wants to debate the issue.

“You are insulting the people of Indore just because of one incident. Those who have questions on Indore’s cleanliness should think twice before questioning,” he said.

In a scathing attack on the Congress, Vijayvargiya further said the people of Indore struggled for years for Narmada water.

“Indore’s development can’t be imagined without Narmada,” the BJP leader said, adding that the opposition had insulted the sanitation workers who have helped make Indore the cleanest city in the country.

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, who also addressed the event, said the water contamination tragedy in Bhagirathpura was painful for the people of Indore and Madhya Pradesh and steps are being taken to ensure that such an incident never occurs in future.

Bhargava, who has been under fire from both the opposition Congress and the BJP after water contamination resulted in a health crisis and several deaths in recent weeks, said the Bhagirathpura tragedy has taught many lessons to Indore.

Notably, the state Congress last week questioned Indore’s tag as the cleanest city.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Umang Singhar, who visited Bhagirathpura, had accused the BJP government of submitting a “fake report” on Indore’s cleanliness.

–IANS

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