Jogi calls Tehelka tapes God's way of punishing NDA Govt

Jogi calls Tehelka tapes God's way of punishing NDA Govt
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

RAIPUR, MARCH 30: Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, who is leading the campaign against the disinvestment of BALCO, today warned that those working against the interests of tribals and the people of Chhattisgarh would invite the wrath of God.

While launching a two-week-long Congress campaign to educate the masses on the Tehelka issue, the Chief Minister claimed that the NDA Government has earned the wrath of God in the form of the Tehelka tapes as it had harmed the interests of the tribals and the people of Chhattisgarh .

He was talking to newspersons, along with former chief minister of Orissa Hemanand Biswal, who is also the AICC observer for the party's campaign on the Tehelka tapes.

``Whosoever works or speaks against the interests of the poor and the people of Chhatisgarh, will definitely invite the wrath of God. Un logon ko garibon ki haay lagegi (They will be cursed by the poor).''

According to the Chief Minister, the BALCO issue has decided the future of economic policy and learning a lesson from it, the Centre has dropped its proposal to disinvest 47 other public sector undertakings, including Air India.

He claimed the agitation at BALCO was a programme of the Congress party and appealed to the people, including partymen and mediapersons, to donate one day's salary to the Workers' Welfare Fund.

He welcomed the statement of Congress leader V.C. Shukla that BALCO's captive power plant should be taken over by the state government and said that the entry tax on bauxite should be raised by 100 per cent, adding that on that issue his partymen stood as one.