NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Saturday warned incumbent chief minister Mohan Yadav that retaining 12 ministerial portfolios was a “big mistake”, saying the concentration of responsibilities could leave him vulnerable if irregularities occurred in any department under his charge.Addressing reporters, Singh cautioned that the chief minister could ultimately be held accountable even if wrongdoing was committed by officials.“Mohan Yadav ji, you have kept as many as 12 departments with yourself. You are making a big mistake… You will get into trouble. An official will commit an error, pocket the money, but you will be the one to get trapped,” he said.Yadav currently oversees the general administration, home, jail, industrial policy and investment promotion, public relations, Narmada Valley development, aviation, mineral resources, public service management and non-resident Indian (NRI) affairs departments, in addition to portfolios not assigned to any other minister.Singh also responded to questions regarding allegations of land purchases involving members of Yadav’s family, saying he was studying the alleged land scam to determine which companies were involved and who else could be implicated.The Congress veteran reminded Yadav of his background, saying, “Chief minister Yadav is the son of a mill worker, but he would not be spared if he committed any wrongdoing.”Referring to his own tenure as chief minister, Singh said no allegations had surfaced against him during his ten years in office.He claimed that Yadav’s predecessor, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had examined every file relating to his administration but found no evidence of wrongdoing.“Mohan Yadav ji, you too can investigate. It makes no difference to me. Because I did not hold any department [that could be implicated],” Singh said.In a political message directed at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Singh also asserted that Congress leaders would not be swayed.“Do not think you can buy us. We are not for sale. We are steadfast and unyielding. Those who were for sale have already left for the BJP. All the Congress members sitting here are steadfast. We are ready to fight,” he added.This comes after media reports surfaced about the land purchase by Yadav’s family and their associated real-estate firms. At least 137 plots covering 168 acres of land in Ujjain were purchased for around Rs 45 crore in the two years since December 2023.The reports also claimed that most of the acquisitions were made in areas that later benefited from government-announced road infrastructure projects and changes in land-use regulations.
