Shivraj Singh Chouhan says Kamal Nath is spreading rumours seeing the imminent defeat of Congress. (File)
On the last day of campaigning for Madhya Pradesh assembly bypolls, state Congress chief Kamal Nath accused the BJP dispensation in the state of reducing the retirement age of Class-IV government employees, which Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dubbed as a "rumour".
In a tweet, Mr Nath said the ruling BJP has brought down the age of retirement of Class-IV employees from 62 years to 60 years, prompting the BJP government to issue a clarification about it.
"The decision by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government to reduce the retirement age of Class IV employees from 62 years to 60 years again. This is deception with Class IV employees. This decision will create a crisis for them," Mr Nath said in on the micro-blogging site.
Mr Chouhan replied to the Congress leader's tweet saying, "You are spreading rumours seeing the imminent defeat of Congress (in the by-elections). This disgusting work can only be done by you and your party."
Mr Chouhan said that the state governments order was only meant for the temporary class-fourth employees appointed in the ministers staff.
"On the contrary, the state government has increased the age limit for such employees (appointed in minister's staff during their tenure) to 60-years, which was so far 40-years," he said.
Later in the day, the state government's General Administration Department issued a clarification in this regard.
It said that there is no change in the age limit for Class IV employees, except for those appointed temporarily in the minister's staff during their tenure.
Mr Nath later thanked the government for the clarification and said that the Congress would continue to fight for the rights of the employees.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)