Gaur targeted again: same woman, different drama

With a few days to go before the BJP takes up the issue of leadership change in Madhya Pradesh, the state capital witnessed high drama on Tu...

With a few days to go before the BJP takes up the issue of leadership change in Madhya Pradesh, the state capital witnessed high drama on Tuesday with a woman promising to 8216;8216;expose the real character8217;8217; of Chief Minister Babulal Gaur in the morning, getting 8216;8216;kidnapped8217;8217; and developing cold feet by the evening.

Shagufta Kabir had three months ago given a clean chit to Gaur by calling him a 8216;8216;father-like figure8217;8217; to refute allegations levelled by her husband, Salim Kabir, that the chief minister was exploiting his wife and her sister by promising them money and government posts.

On Tuesday, she, accompanied by Mahila Utpidan Virodhi Morcha chairperson Vijaya Pathak, called the media to admit that she had lied three months ago, and that she was not provided any facility by the government because she did not 8216;8216;succumb to Gaur8217;s advances.8217;8217;

No sooner had she begun, than her sister Samina stormed the venue of the press conference and threatened to kill herself if

Shagufta did not accompany her. Samina told her sister that their mother was very ill and she should accompany her.

When Pathak and journalists reached the Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital, neither Shagufta nor Samina was there. Pathak told The Indian Express that she had anticipated it and had taken a written statement from Shagufta and recorded her interview before reaching the venue. Pathak lodged a complaint of abduction at the M P Nagar Police Station alleging that Gaur was behind the kidnapping.

After an hour, the two sisters walked into the police station and Shagufta gave in writing that she had left the press conference venue on her own. SP A K Singh said, 8216;8216;There was nothing to investigate as the complaint became null and void.8217;8217; He said the sisters did not ask for protection.

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Gaur, after becoming the Chief Minister, appointed Shagufta, a party member for nearly 12 years, on a government committee.

8216;8216;He used to call up late in the night,8217;8217; Shagufta claimed in the statement to Pathak, 8216;8216;and promised to appoint me on a higher post with perks like a car and a bungalow.8217;8217;

Shagufta later separated from her husband who had approached Pathak. When the husband levelled allegations against Gaur, Shagufta had defended the CM in.

In her statement to Pathak, she alleged the chief minister suggested that she accompany him on outstation tours which she refused. 8216;8216;I was not given any facility and stopped getting invitations for attending official meetings also,8217;8217; she wrote.

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While Gaur refused to comment on the day8217;s development, his camp described it as a conspiracy by his political opponents within the party. 8216;8216;It8217;s a fact that Shagufta was not given any facility. She wanted to blackmail the Chief Minister,8217;8217; a close aide alleged.

Late on Tuesday, Pathak said she felt betrayed by Shagufta whom she had helped patch up with her husband.

Pathak said she was unaware of Shagufta8217;s whereabouts, but sources said she was with her sister Samina, who, incidentally, still defended the Chief Minister saying he stood by the family when they needed help.