Chhattisgarh CM Baghel hits back at Giriraj Singh over ‘KhaKha’ jibe

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 9 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday lashed out at Union Minister Giriraj Singh, accusing him of distorting the nickname ‘Kaka’ (uncle), which was given to him by the people, and calling him “KhaKha”.

Claiming that the Union minister had insulted the people of Chhattisgarh with the “KhaKha” dig at him, CM Baghel told reporters, “I didn’t give this nickname to myself. The people, especially the youth, call me by this nickname. It is people who chant my nickname, saying ‘Kaka Hai To Bharosa Hai’ (In Kaka, we trust) and ‘Kaka Abhi Zinda Hai’ (Kaka is still alive). Hence, his deliberate distortion of the nickname ‘Kaka’ to ‘Khakha’ is nothing but an insult to the people of Chhattisgarh.

The BJP has been making tall claims of doubling the farmers’ income and hiking the MSP (Minimum Support Price) this year, but the reality is quite the opposite, the Chhattisgarh CM claimed, adding under the Prime Ministership of Manmohan Singh, during the UPA rule (between 2004 and 2014), the Centre had raised the MSP on paddy by 134 per cent.

Similarly, the MSP on other products such as pulses, maize, oilseeds and others was also raised during the UPA rule, the Chhattisgarh CM claimed.

Baghel said former chief Raman Singh and the BJP, who talked up the benefits of a ‘double-engine’ government during its term at the hustings, should answer what they did for the farmers.

“Had the UPA been in power at the Centre, it would have increased the MSP on farm produce by 134 per cent,” the CM said, adding that farmers in his state as well as elsewhere in the country were facing losses worth thousands of crores.

On the parade in Canada by suspected Khalistanis, hailing the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Baghel said the Centre should register its strong objection to the incident.