Congress Chief Jitu Patwari.
Credit: X/@jitupatwari
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress on Sunday dared the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to release the list of 2.58 lakh people, most of them from the grand old party, who joined the saffron outfit as claimed by its leaders.
Former minister Narottam Mishra had on Saturday claimed that more than 2.58 lakh people, including 1.26 lakh on April 6 alone, had joined the saffron party in the state in the past three months, and most of them were from the Congress.
Talking to reporters, state Congress Chief Jitu Patwari said the BJP had only released the list of prominent leaders who joined their party to the media, which included 336 leaders.
"I challenge them, will the BJP release the list of 2.58 lakh workers who have joined their party?" Patwari said, accusing the BJP of misleading the people through false claims.
He further alleged that members of mafias associated with mining, sand, transport and education, who do business with the government, have joined the BJP.
"Those expelled from different parties due to indiscipline have joined the BJP. We have already expelled such people," he said.
Reacting to the allegations, state BJP spokesman Narendra Saluja, in a tweet on X, named Congress leaders who left the grand old party after Patwari became its state chief.
Saluja named Congress leaders including former union minister Suresh Pachouri, Chhindwara mayor Vikram Ahake, MLA Kamlesh Shah, former minister Deepak Saxena, Jabalpur mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh and others, who recently joined the saffron outfit.
"Patwari should explain if they were mafias," the BJP spokesman said.
During the interaction with the media, Patwari also posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will take part in a roadshow in Jabalpur later in the day.
The Congress leader said the prime minister should clarify why no action has been taken against the accused in the VYAPAM job recruitment scam so far.
When the BJP contested and won the assembly elections under the leadership of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, why Mohan Yadav was made the chief minister based on a slip sent from Delhi, he said.
He also asked the PM to explain to the people about the failed promises of the BJP, including two crore jobs and MSP for wheat and paddy.