In a bizarre turn of events, a day after his mother levelled charges of ‘domestic violence’ in court against Congress leader of opposition Ajay Singh Rahul, he gave a notice to move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government to the secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday.
The monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly is beginning on June 25. The five-day session will be the last one in the current Assembly before the state goes to polls in November this year. The Congress had announced during the last session that it would move a no-confidence motion against the BJP government.
This would be the first no-confidence motion against the government in the 14th Assembly. Earlier, during the previous regime of the BJP government in 2013, a similar no-confidence motion could not to be discussed in the house as deputy leader of Congress Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi crossed the floor at the very moment when Ajay, who was then also leader of opposition, rose to present his speech.
When asked about his 83-year-old mother, Saroj Singh, going to a Bhopal court with a complaint of domestic violence and property dispute against him, Ajay retorted, “Why does such conspiracy happen every time I try to present no-confidence motion in the state Assembly?”
He asked why the lawyer of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was also representing his mother in the case. Ajay claimed he had always wanted his mother to live with him in Bhopal, but his sister, Veena Singh, does not allow him to meet their mother.
Incidentally, Saroj happens to be the widow of Arjun Singh, who was thrice chief minister of the state and Union minister for two decades. Arjun was once even tipped to become prime minster of the country when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. A few years ago, when Arjun died, he left behind a property dispute between his two sons and daughter.
Not surprisingly, the family saga has taken a political turn, with Chauhan accusing Ajay of
“insulting his mother and levelling accusations against the BJP”.
BJP Rajya Sabha member Prabhat Jha was quick to write a three-page letter to the state governor explaining the “importance of mother in Indian culture’’ and asking her to dismiss Ajay from the post of leader of opposition.
Ajay responded to the chief minister in a press note, saying, “I had nowhere said that BJP is responsible, but Shivraj Singh Chauhan himself has come out taking advantage of the situation.’’
Singh also said that his sister Veena has been promised a ticket from BJP, which is why she is confusing their mother and taking her to court in a 'pure family' matter.
Kamal Nath, the state Congress chief and family friend of Arjun, said that the party was standing with Ajay, and he has never thought that BJP would stoop so low.