Oppn raking up 'Mann ki Baat' address for politics: Minister

SEHORE(MP): MP minister Gopal Bhargava today said the mason whose name was mentioned by the PM in his ' Mann ki Baat' address has constructed over 100 toilets in his panchayat area and not just his village, and alleged that the Opposition is raking up the issue to play politics over it.

Bhargava said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned about the development in his recent 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme with an aim to motivate people to construct toilets in their homes.

He also said the state government has not provided any such figure to the PMO.

Bhojpura village in MP's Sehore district has 53 houses and after the PM's address, in which he mentioned that mason Dilip Singh Malviya has constructed over 100 toilets on his own village, the Congress raked up the issue.

"The number is not an issue and the Opposition is just raking it up for politics. The larger issue is that Dilip has constructed toilets and the same is being highlighted by the PM to motivate others," the state Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister told PTI.

"Over 100 toilets were constructed by Dilip in the entire panchayat area which comprises of Bhojpura, Mohanpura, Seetapathari, Kalakhedi and Bankapathari villages," Bhargava said after verifying facts by sending officials.

"But the larger issue is motivating people to construct toilets. Number is just a figure and the Prime Minister's intention was to encourage people to construct toilets in their households as part of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' and therefore, he highlighted Dilip's work after reading about it in some paper or social media," he said.