The Congress’ move to induct former BJP leader Dr Gulab Singh Kirar has backfired in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. Kirar joined the Congress in presence of its top leadership including president Rahul Gandhi, Kamal Nath, and Jyotiraditya Scindia. However, Congress realised a day later that he was the same man whom it had accused of corruption in the infamous Vyapam scam.
Realising its mistake, the Congress swung into action and dropped him. The Congress deleted a tweet that had welcomed Kirar, and its official spokesperson denied that he had joined the party. When asked why the Congress dropped Kirar, Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza told The Indian Express that “there is no question of disowning someone whom we never owned. He did not join the Congress officially.”
Oza said that Kirar was in Indore to meet some people. “It’s difficult to keep track of everyone who turn up when senior leaders are around,” she added. However, the IE report suggests that the Congress state vice-president and general secretary (organisation) Chandraprabhas Shekhar acknowledged that Kirar indeed was inducted in Indore.
“Dr Kirar was officially admitted to the party fold in Indore on Tuesday,” he said. But when he was informed that his party’s spokesperson had denied the induction, Shekhar told IE that he was yet to get any instructions from the top on this.
Reacting to the Congress’ U-turn, Kirar said that irrespective of what the Congress claims, he will work for the party because he is now its member. Three years ago, the BJP had expelled Kirar when his name cropped up in the Vyapam scam. He was a Minister of State in Shivraj Singh government and also a member of Madhya Pradesh Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Commission.
Sniffing an opportunity here, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Sharma hit out at the Congress and said that the episode has exposed the Congress because in its desperation to get publicity, it has inducted people with a controversial past. The CBI has named Kirar and his son in its FIR in the infamous Vyapam scam.
