Sushma Swaraj slams PM over issue of Central funds for Chhattisgarh PDS

RAIPUR: Senior BJP leader and leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had harmed the federal structure of the country by claiming that the Centre provides funds for Public Distribution System in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh.

"Chhattisgarh government has the right to share in the Central revenue which is collected by Union government on behalf of state governments. It is the right of the people of Chhattisgarh and they deserve the Central share.

"By making such a statement, the PM is harming the federal structure of the country," Swaraj told reporters here about the Prime Minister's statement earlier in Raipur today that 90 per cent of PDS subsidy comes from the Centre.

On Singh's statement that the Centre has planned an AIIMS for Raipur, she claimed that Raipur AIIMS was sanctioned when she was the Union Health Minister, and the UPA government took five years to clear the project.

Swaraj also took a dig at the PM for addressing only a Congress workers' convention here, asking "Does he have the courage to address a public meeting during election campaign."

The BJP leader also hit out at Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi over his remark at Rajnandgaon rally that the former PCC president Nand Kumar Patel was killed to stop him from becoming the CM of Chhattisgarh in the coming elections.

"Anybody projected as CM by Congress could not challenge Chief Minister Raman Singh. BJP does not fear anybody," she said.