Cong blames Modi as CMs get heckled

The Congress has decided to take up the issue of the booing at its chief ministers politically.

After certain Congress-ruled States decided not to participate in functions attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party said there have been purposeful attempts by BJP workers to boo down chief ministers belonging to non-BJP parties at the Prime Minister’s functions.

Terming the trend “dangerous”, the Congress said it will not tolerate any such insults by the BJP. “The heckling of chief ministers was well-planned and orchestrated. No one has the right to humiliate elected chief ministers by inciting supporters,” party general secretary Ambika Soni said.

She, however, denied reports that the Congress high command has issued directions to all chief ministers, asking them to boycott Modi’s functions.

“No such direction is required to be given,” she said and welcomed the decision of chief ministers Bhupinder Hooda of Haryana and Pritviraj Chavan of Maharashtra to stay away from Modi’s functions.

“They have done the right thing. We are fully behind them,” Soni added.

Blaming the Prime Minister for the fiasco, Soni said if he was serious, he would have sent a directive to BJP workers to stop doing such things immediately. The Congress would never hit back by arranging 500 supporters to humiliate Modi in his meetings, she added.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, whose party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a Congress ally, was also heckled by crowds in the presence of Modi at a function in Ranchi on Thursday. On Tuesday, Hooda had to face a similar scene.

Chavan has announced that he will not participate in any of Modi’s functions.é

The Maharashtra CM had to discontinue his speech at Solapur after a group of people started chanting Modi’s name during a recent event. He boycotted the function in Mouda, where Modi inaugurated a Super Thermal Power Project on Thursday.

Soni alleged that there was a pattern behind these incidents.

“In Jammu and Kashmir, Modi inaugurated a number of projects implemented by the UPA. He visited Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

“All these are election-going States and, in most of them, BJP has a direct fight with the Congress. You see a pattern,” she said.

“If the BJP wants the conventions which have continued for more than six decades to continue, the Prime Minister should publicly issue a directive to his party workers asking them to desist from such acts,” she added.

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