MP: Ministerial group formed to review Kamal Nath government's decisions

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, which came to power in March this year, has constituted a group of ministers to review the decisions taken by the previous Kamal Nath-led dispensation in the state. The state Congress, however, said considering the outbreak of COVID-19, the government should first focus on tackling the situation as there is ample time ahead "for politics".

The state General Administration Department (GAD) on Wednesday evening constituted the group, which has state Health and Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat and Farmers' Welfare Minister Kamal Patel as its members. The GAD order said the ministerial group is constituted to review the decisions taken by the previous government in six months before March 20.

Kamal Nath resigned as the state chief minister on March 20 this year, paving the way for the BJP to return to power. The resignation of 22 Congress MLAs had pushed the Nath government to the brink. Former Congress MLA and now state minister Silawat was also part of the previous Kamal Nath cabinet. The Congress questioned the Chouhan government's move to constitute the group of ministers.

"We welcome any type of review. But, this is the time when the state is facing the coronavirus threat. The priority of the government should be to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a lot of time ahead for politics," state Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja said.

He alleged that a minister included in the group is also facing investigation in various scams. The state BJP, however, claimed the constitution of the ministerial group is linked to the coronavirus outbreak.

"Several decisions in the pre-coronavirus outbreak period needed a review as they have an impact on the present situation. The entire focus of the state government is on how to contain the spread of COVID-19," state BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal told PTI.

"The (previous government's) decisions need to be reviewed so that arrangements to deal with the coronavirus threat could be made and fresh decisions in the renewed situation could be taken," he added.