“Modi ji said he gave Rs 1 lakh crore for paddy procurement. I want to say to PM ji that in 2014, double engine sarkar was there and 10 quintals of paddy was bought. When their government was in power for three years, i.e., 2014-2016, the paddy procurement went down and you (Modi) also refused to give bonus as per a 2014 order. Now you say you will buy every single grain of rice at Minimum Support Price.” The situation of paddy procurement has at all times been a high election situation in Chhattisgarh.

“He (Modi) is coming again on October 3. I want to say to PM ji , please ask the central government to announce that every single grain of rice will be bought,” Baghel stated.

State Congress chief Deepak Baij, an MP from the Bastar area, stated in the course of the press convention that there could be a bandh in Bastar district on Tuesday (October 3) to “show PM Modi that the people of Bastar are angry over the privatisation of Nagarnar steel plant”.

Baghel stated the land of Nagarnar in Bastar belonged to the “tribals, farmers and the state government”.

“We also asked for the steel plant to be given to the state government and passed a resolution in Vidhan Sabha to that effect, but the central government did not agree and announced its auction. Further, they did not allow us to participate in it…,” the CM stated.

Baij stated: “They are playing with emotions and cheating the tribals by selling out Nagarnar. On October 3, Bastar will be bandh so Modi ji understands the emotions of the people of Bastar…” He stated that the earnings from Nagarnar would go to personal gamers if the plant is privatised, and requested why the Chhattisgarh authorities was not allowed to take part in its public sale.

During the press convention, Baghel additionally criticised the Centre concerning the cancellation of trains on the day Modi visited Bilaspur.

“The day PM ji came, 34 passenger trains were cancelled,” he stated, including that Chhattisgarh has had probably the most variety of practice cancellations in all of India. “Why are you taking revenge?” he requested.

Replying to a journalist’s query, Baghel stated Modi’s guarantees had been faux. “Modi guaranteed 2 crore jobs, 15 lakhs to each family, bringing down the price of rice, [and] doubling income of farmers. But all this was jumle baazi (fake promises), and he continues to do it,” Baghel stated.

On the Centre’s pending dues to the state, the CM stated that “coal royalty worth over Rs 4,000 crore, rice dues worth Rs 6,000 crore, Awas Yojna (housing scheme for the poor) funds, (and) our GST compensation worth Rs 7,000 crore” had been but to be obtained, and that cash taken by the central authorities for the National Pension Scheme (for the implementation of Old Pension Scheme introduced by the state authorities) was but to be returned.