Congress Unveils ‘Ghotala Sheet’: Alleges 254 Scams Under BJP Rule in Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi, August 18, 2023: The Congress party in Madhya Pradesh has launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government by releasing a comprehensive “Ghotala sheet,” cataloging 254 alleged scams that transpired during the BJP’s 18-year rule in the state.

The unveiling of this sheet was accompanied by sharp rhetoric, with Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath claiming that a Google search for “scam” would soon link to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s image.

Kamal Nath highlighted what he termed a “world record of scams” during the BJP’s governance, asserting that the state had become synonymous with corruption under the cloak of a “50 percent commission raaj.” Nath wittily remarked, “The day is not far when people will search for ‘scam’ on Google and a photo of Shivraj Singh Chouhan will appear.” Nath addressed his previous tenure as chief minister and asserted, “I am not a 2018 model. Now I am a 2023 model.”

The “Ghotala sheet” published by the Congress delineated a range of alleged scams, prominently featuring the infamous Vyapam scam (₹2,000 crore), illegal mining (₹50,000 crore), e-tender scam (₹3,000 crore), RTO scam (₹25,000 crore), liquor scam (₹86,000 crore), Mahakal Lok (₹100 crore), and electricity scam (₹94,000 crore). The document bore the tagline, “Ghotala hi Ghotala, Ghotala Seth – 50 per cent Commission Rate.”

Accompanying this initiative, the Congress party released a contact number, encouraging citizens to give a missed call to show their association with the anti-corruption campaign against the BJP-led government.

Responding to the Congress’s allegations, Madhya Pradesh BJP President Vishnu Dutt Sharma derisively referred to Kamal Nath as “Corruption Nath,” dismissing the 2023 model claims. Sharma further highlighted the absence of a credit line on the leaflet distributed by the Congress.

With state assembly elections looming by the year-end, both parties are intensifying their political campaigns. While the BJP has unveiled its initial list of candidates, the electoral schedule is yet to be announced.