Bhopal: Controversy is not leaving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh where Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda is now under fire for his statement that the entire country and its military are “bowing at the feet” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The deputy chief minister has come out with a clarification that the statement he made at a civil defence volunteer training programme in Jabalpur was being presented in “a wrong manner”. The Congress, he added, was “misleading” the country by distorting the speech.
Devda’s remarks comes at a time when the Mohan Yaday-led BJP government is facing backlash over tribal affairs minister Vijay Shah’s remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
“Us din se pure desh mein bohot tanau tha logo ke man mein. Jab tak iska badla nahi liya jaega, aur matao ke Sindoor ko mitane kaa kaam jin logo ne kiya, jin atankwadiyo ne kiya, aur in atankwadiyo ko jinne paala, jo paal rahe hai, unko nist nabood nahi kar denge, tab tak chain ki saans nahi lenge. (There was tension in the minds of the people across the country. It was felt that until this act is avenged and those responsible for wiping the sindoor of our mothers and sisters and those giving them shelter are destroyed, we will not rest in peace’,” he said in Jabalpur district. referring to the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor that followed soon after.
“Aur yashashvi pradhan mantri Narendra Modi jo ko dhanyawad denga chahenge ki pura desh, desh ki sena aur sainik unke charno mein natmastak hai. Unke charno mein pura desh natmastak hai… (We would like to congratulate PM Narendra Modi. The entire country, its army and soldiers are bowing down at his feet. The entire country is bowing down at his feet.”
Central and state leaders from the opposition Congress party slammed the Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister for “insulting” the armed forces.
“After Vijay Shah, now Jagdish Devda has insulted the Indian Army,” Congress state president Jitu Patwari said, adding that the BJP has been constantly insulting the armed forces as seen in the statements made by its leaders.
Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate called Devda’s comment an insult to the courage and bravery of the Army. “Just asking for his resignation will not solve the matter. He should be suspended, Modi ji,” Shrinate posted on ‘X’.
On Friday, Devda came out before the media saying that the Congress was distorting his statement.
“I said in my speech that the valour shown by the brave soldiers in Operation Sindoor against the terrorists cannot be praised enough. The entire country and the people of the country bow down to their feet and salute them and I also salute them. In my statement, I meant that the people of the country bow at the feet of the brave soldiers who protect the country. This statement of mine is being circulated in a wrong manner,” he asserted.
“My entire speech is in honour of the army,” he added.
BJP state media incharge Ashish Aggarwal defended the deputy chief minister and also accused the Congress party of twisting Devda’s statement and taking it out of context.
“Jadgish Devda ji ne ye kaha hai ki, pura desh, desh ki sainiko aur senao ke prati natmastak hai jinhone Pakistan mein jaake prahar kiya hai. (Jagdish Devda ji said that whole country has bowed down at the feet of its army and its soldiers who went into Pakistan and attacked there),” Aggarwal told the media.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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