Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, Kamal Nath publicly defended his government’s policy of promoting the hiring of MP domiciles through incentives, citing the example of other states where such schemes are in place, reports Times of India.

“Such policy exists in other states also. Is it not there in Gujarat? What’s new in it?,” Nath said while addressing a press conference following his first meeting with top-level police officials of the state.

Kamal Nath has faced ridicule and criticism for his decision, with the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) pointing out his own background as an outsider to the state to counter the CM’s policy.

Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted that there was no concept of being an ‘outsider’ to Madhya Pradesh, as people from all over the country had settled in the state and made it their home, and that is why the state is referred to as the heart of India.

Nath directed police to take a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to crimes against women, drugs and ‘satta’. “The priority of this government will be to control drugs and satta syndicates,” he said.

Commenting on his party’s pre-poll manifesto promise of giving weekly offs to police personnel, he said that DGP Rishi has been tasked with drafting a policy for the same. He also said that he would ensure that government officials are not kept at key positions for too long.