Published from Mumbai, Delhi & Bhopal

Eggs to warm up by-poll battle in Madhya Pradesh

Once again eggs are back on the menu of political battle ahead of by-polls on 27 seats in the state as the Congress-turncoat Imarti Devi now WCD minister in BJP Government has put the saffron party in a fix by saying that eggs will be given in mid-day meal to children who want it, and the others will be given fruits to combat malnutrition at anganwadis.

 

Zafar Alam Khan: Bhopal Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Imarti Devi has put the government and the ruling BJP in a fix as she has reiterated that she stands by the proposal to give eggs to willing kids and pregnant women through anganwadis in the state.

The BJP had vehemently opposed the proposal made in November last year when Imarti Devi, who was earlier with the Congress, held the same portfolio in Kamal Nath government. While the saffron party is treading cautiously over the reaction to the minister’s fresh statement, the Congress is not letting the opportunity go to take a jibe at the BJP.

The chief spokesman of MP BJP, Deepak Vijayvargiya, gave a measured reaction on the issue. Speaking to THE WEEK, he said “Imarti Devi has all the rights to state her opinion, but we are sure that while taking any decision on the issue, the state government will keep the larger sentiments of people in mind.”

Devi said in Gwalior on Tuesday evening that she stood by the proposal to give eggs to kids and pregnant women, who are willing to eat it, through anganwadis. “Doctors say that eggs are very nutritious and good for the health of children and pregnant women. So those who are willing to eat eggs can have them and others can be given fruits like bananas or apples. The health of children is important,” Devi said while interacting with local media persons.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government had earlier rejected a similar proposal made by the department of WCD in 2015. Chouhan had then said that eggs would never be served in anganwadis of the state as long as he was the chief minister of the state.

The Congress took a jibe at the BJP, saying it had vehemently opposed the move to serve eggs in anganwadis on earlier occasions and especially last November when the proposal was given an in-principle nod by the Kamal Nath government.

“We want to see what stand the BJP that has been opposing the move takes on this decision of the minister. Will the BJP government formed with support of turncoats stick to its stand or make a turnaround on this too?,” Narendra Saluja, media coordinator of MP Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath, asked.

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