Congress MLA claims Bundi airport event invite came after flagging 'discrimination' by BJP govt

Kota, Mar 9 (PTI) Congress MLA Harimohan Sharma on Monday said that after he raised the issue of opposition legislators being allegedly excluded from public events despite government circulars, the state government invited him to the foundation ceremony of the Kota-Bundi Greenfield airport.

During the ongoing Assembly session, Sharma raised the issue of "discrimination" and urged the state government to withdraw its directions and circulars on inviting sitting MLAs to avoid disputes.

Speaking to PTI, the three-time MLA said Narendra Budania and Shatrughan Gautam supported him on the matter, which "forced" the state government to invite him to the Bundi-Kota Greenfield airport foundation ceremony.

The Bundi MLA said he was happy to receive the invitation to the ceremony held on Saturday.

Sharma, a third-time MLA and former state finance minsiter, said, "Speaker Om Birla and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma stood up from their seats and warmly shook my hands even though they could have remained seated and responded coldly." Two days before the ceremony, Bundi Collector Akshya Godara called him on Thursday and formally invited him to the event, which he accepted.

The collector also informed him that his name had been inscribed on the plaque and that a seat had been reserved for him on the stage.

"I was also invited to an official meeting and refreshments, where, in the absence of a vacant chair, Minister Madan Dilawar, Kanhaiya Lal and Heeralal Nagar vacated their chairs for me to sit," Sharma said.

Sharma also reminded Birla about the proposal for a mini-secretariat in Bundi, to which Birla assured him.

With a virtual address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma pressed the button for the foundation of the Rs 1,507 crore Kota-Bundi Greenfield Airport on Saturday. PTI COR APL APL