MPCC urges Sonia to initiate inquiry against state govt

Bhopal, Aug 3 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee today urged party President Sonia Gandhi to institute an inquiry into ''misuse'' of the Centre's development funds by the state government to serve a communal agenda.

''The funds, received under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), are being misused to project (an) image of political leaders (especially) Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan,'' Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jamuna Devi said in a letter to Ms Gandhi. Copies of the missive were released to the press today.

Alleging that the text of government advertisements offended the spirit of a secular state, she added that the ads preached a hidden communal agenda by describing the enrolment drive as the Hindu 'Upnayan Sanskar'.

''The prime objective of the SSA is to enrol children of poor sections... A majority of such children belong to SCs, STs (and) OBCs. The advertisements also carry photographs of Mr Chouhan,'' the letter said.

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