Kamal Nath-led Congress M.P government suspends payment of pension to Emergency detainees, BJP hits back

A day after the Congress leader Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh government put on hold the payment of pension to those who were detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency, several BJP leaders have lashed out at the Congress government in the state for stopping the pension of the people. 

Taking it to Twitter on Thursday, BJP leader and Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal hit out at Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, calling him 'Indira Gandhi's third son' for stopping the pension to those 'who fought for democratic values during Emergency'.

Read the tweet here:

Further reacting in the matter, Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore also attacked Kamal Nath, calling him 'one of the greatest cheerleaders of the Emergency':

Read the tweet here:

READ: Vande Mataram Not Sung At MP Secretariat; BJP Targets CM

The pension scheme, called Loknayak Jayprakash Samman Nidhi, was started by the BJP government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the state in 2008. It was later enshrined into law. 

A MP government order dated December 29 said the officials have been directed to carry out physical verification of former MISA detainees, and until this exercise is over, the monthly pension of Rs 25,000 should not be paid. It also cited auditors' objections to the scheme.

Opposing the move by the Congress-led government in the state, BJP general secretary V D Sharma said, "Great injustice has been done to the people from all sections of society who had opposed and suffered a lot during the Emergency that had been imposed to hound people and stifle the democracy."

The MISA pension costs Rs 70 to 75 crore to the state coffers annually, according to government sources. During the Emergency imposed by the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi between 1975 to 1977, thousands of people were detained under MISA across the country. Under the scheme, the initial allowance of Rs 6,000, was given to those who spent at least six months in jail during Emergency. However, the rules of the scheme have been amended four times over the years. As per recent reports, anyone who spent more than a month in jail during the Emergency gets Rs 25,000 a month.

Earlier, Kamal Nath triggered huge put a ban on the recitation of the national song 'Vande Mataram' in the Secretariat on the first working day of every month, BJP president Amit Shah has hit out at his opposition party counterpart Rahul Gandhi. 

READ: 'Unfortunate And Shameful': BJP Chief Amit Shah Slams Congress And Rahul Gandhi For Insulting 'Vande Mataram' By Putting Hold On Its Recitation In MP Secretariat

(With PTI inputs)