Bhopal, July 3 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Congress, which has been attacking Chief Minister Mohan Yadav over the alleged allotment of land to the Bharat Nyas Trust and other land purchase in Ujjain, faced an embarrassment on Friday after one of its senior leaders resigned and openly questioned the party leadership.

State Congress Secretary and spokesperson, Rakesh Yadav, quit his post and levelled a series of allegations against Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and state incharge Harish Chaudhary, while defending Chief Minister Mohan Yadav over the recent land allotment controversy.

Speaking to reporters after resigning, Yadav said that he was sent a notice from the Congress party for participating in a TV debate, which is why he has chosen to resign from the party’s primary membership. He also questioned Patwari’s leadership and said he was not fit to head the Madhya Pradesh Congress.

“Today, I have resigned from the primary membership of the Congress. Jitu Patwari does not deserve to be the Madhya Pradesh Congress President. He may be close to senior leaders, but he is not fit for the post,” Yadav alleged.

Yadav said he had served the Congress for more than three decades in different organisational roles and decided to resign after receiving a notice for participating in TV debates.

He admitted that the Congress leadership had instructed its leaders and spokespersons not to participate in TV debates during the party’s three-day ‘Maun Satyagraha’.

Yadav alleged that when he questioned why the party was blaming the media instead of placing evidence before it to support its allegations against Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, he was issued a notice.

“I asked what evidence the Congress had given to the media. Instead of answering my question, I was served a notice asking why I had participated in TV debates during those two days,” Yadav alleged.

Yadav further claimed that Patwari had become “trapped in his own allegations” over the land allotment issue.

Referring to the Bharat Nyas Trust controversy, he said senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had later clarified that land had also been allotted to several organisations, including hospitals, during previous Congress governments.

He also blamed Patwari and state Congress incharge Harish Chaudhary for the party’s defeat in the Rajya Sabha election involving Meenakshi Natarajan.

Yadav further alleged that Patwari accepted money while appointing district Congress presidents during the organisational restructuring.

“Only Jitu Patwari and Harish Chaudhary are responsible for the Congress losing the Rajya Sabha election. If you make allegations against the Chief Minister without proof, then you should apologise to him,” Yadav alleged.

The BJP later targeted the Congress over the resignation, saying the public attack by one of its own senior leaders reflected growing dissatisfaction and a leadership crisis within the Opposition party.

The development comes as the Congress continues its campaign against the BJP government over the alleged land allotment issue involving Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

–IANS

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