Madhya Pradesh Home minister Narottam Mishra who often mounts bitter attacks on the opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh, received surprise praise from opposition leaders after his engagements in flood relief operation in the Gwalior-Chambal region on Wednesday.
The Gwalior-Chambal region has been torn by a ravaging flood in the last few days and as Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made an aerial survey of the region on Wednesday, Home minister Narottam Mishra took the ground route accompanying rescuers in boats and in one of the videos was seen standing with a group on the rooftop of a marooned structure.
After all the locals were helped reach the chopper hovering overhead, the Home minister takes the rope in the last and reaches the chopper for safety.
In a cryptic tweet, Narendra Saluja, the Congress media co-ordinator heaped praises on the Home minister on tagging the said video of rescue, saying if slamming the government is the duty of the opposition, good things should be lauded. “Shivraj ji often says that Narottam Mishra flies high, today we saw it personally,” said Saluja.
The Congress leader’s taunt was a veiled attack on CM Shivraj as the party of late is making claims that BJP top brass is about to bring in change in leadership in the state. The Congress has been claiming that Mishra had been a strong contender to replace Chouhan.
Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra also tweeted a question: ‘Who is the Leader?’ Mishra tagged two pictures, one of the minister hanging by a chopper and another in which CM Shivraj was carried on the shoulder while crossing knee-deep water during an inspection in the past.
Ajay Singh Yadav, another Congress spokesperson lashed out at CM Shivraj saying Chouhan has left for New Delhi on Wednesday for keeping his place in CM House safe, leaving Gwalior-Chambal region in a massive crisis.
However, sources in CM House claimed that Chouhan’s visit to New Delhi was pre-decided to finalise list of political appointments. The CM’s office also issued a small press note saying Chouhan had attended MP’s meet in New Delhi and informed national president that he will shortly retreat to MP for monitoring flood relief operations.
Chief Minister Shivraj was back in Bhopal later and began a meeting to review the flood situation.
In between, there were several posts on social media applauding Narottam Mishra, including some tweets that claimed the Home minister was stranded in flood while performing rescue and was saved by a chopper.
The minister was quick to take to Twitter claiming that he had gone with the rescuers to save nine persons stranded in flood in village Kotra in his constituency Datia.
He also shared a ‘well-edited’ video of the operation on his Twitter handle by evening which also had his comments on the flood situation.
Mishra, one of the BJP leaders from Gwalior-Chambal region had been a powerful minister in Shivraj cabinet and in last few years earned the confidence of the party high command.
After change of CM candidate in Uttarakhand and Karnataka and rumoured trouble in UP, Congress in MP is busy making claims that Chouhan was about to be replaced and claimed Mishra is a strong contender to replace him for the hot seat.
However, the BJP hasn’t responded to the claims as of now.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here