News Analysis India

Tag: Digvijaya Singh

  • Madhya Pradesh government failed to provide relief to flood victims: Digvijaya Singh

    By PTI

    GWALIOR: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday alleged the Madhya Pradesh government has failed to provide relief to victims of flood in the Gwalior and Chambal divisions as it was more focussed on “business” rather than governance.

    He also claimed that the electricity supply to the flood-ravaged areas has not been restored yet and the victims are not getting food.

    Twenty four people were killed in rain-related incidents during floods in the first week of August in North MP.

    “Bridges and culverts were washed away in recent floods.

    This was the government’s failure because the BJP does not run the government but it does business.

    Due to commissions and cuts, sub-standard constructions are done,” Singh told reporters at Bhitarwar here.

    The Rajya Sabha MP said victims of floods were given food by social workers, “which is the failure of the state government”.

    He also said the state government has not yet surveyed to assess the loss and damage caused by floods.

    “Officers and the government were sleeping when the India Meteorological Department warned of rains due to which kuccha houses were washed away completely.

    Pucca houses were destroyed in Sheopur and Shivpuri districts (due to floods),” he said.

    Referring to the alleged mobbing of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Sheopur, Singh said officers were shunted out of the district instead of being suspended.

  • Cops use water cannons as Congress workers oppose land for RSS affiliate in Madhya Pradesh

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to allot land in an industrial estate to an RSS affiliate associated with small industries prompted the opposition Congress to stage a protest under senior leader Digvijaya Singh here on Sunday wherein police used water cannons.

    The incident occurred when Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, and other Congress workers were trying to climb on a barricade during the protest held at Govindpura industrial area, officials said. Police have filed a case against Singh and eight other Congress leaders along with 200 workers of the party for organising a protest without prior permission and violating COVID-19 rules.

    “Police used water cannons but we will continue to fight against the land allotment till the association of Industrial area is with us. The water got into my ears,Congre” Singh told reporters. He alleged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had given this land worth crores to the Laghu and Madhyam Udyog Bharti at the rate of Re 1 despite opposition from the Industrial Association.

    “This is the only park where workers take their lunch and rest,” Singh said.

    The former chief minister said the Govindpura industrial estate was developed for ancillary units of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in Bhopal. “The park land in the estate is being allotted to this organisation without changing the land title and securing due permissions. 95 per cent of the industrialists are opposed to the land allotment to this body,” he said.

    “I, CM Chouhan, former CM Babulal Gaur had planted saplings in this park,” Singh recalled.

    Eyewitnesses said a heated argument broke out between Singh and Bhopal DIG Irshad Wali during the demonstration in the presence of police personnel. When Singh said the Congress will demolish the foundation stone on the allotted land, Wali is heard saying the police will keep an eye on him, they said.

    District Collector Avinash Lavania told Singh that the work at the allotted land is allowed only after securing necessary legal permissions including from the Industry Department. Reacting to the Congress” protest, Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang said the upcoming project of the Laghu Udyog Bharati will provide skill development and create jobs.

    “This land was allotted to the Laghu Udyog Bharti after considering all the aspects,” he told reporters.

    Sarang said contrary to the claims made by Singh, no industrialist was seen during Saturday’s protest. “Digvijaya Singh is always opposed to every new creation and brings negativity into every positive thing.

    The youths will be prepared for employment. Digvijaya Singh was CM for ten years but instead of giving jobs, he deprived the daily wagers of their employment. He is now feeling bad when something new is created,” Sarang alleged. Congress leader and former Union minister Arun Yadav condemned the use of force by police against the party workers and Singh.

    “The BJP regime allotted the land to an organisation affiliated to the RSS. Police used force when Congress workers staged a protest. The CM should take action against erring officials,” Yadav demanded. Ashoka Garden police station in-charge Alok Shrivastava told PTI that police filed cases against eight leaders including Digvijaya Singh, MLA PC Sharma, Vibha Patel and others, besides 200 party workers.

    “These leaders were booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 147 (rioting) of the Indian Penal Code,” he said. Shrivastava said only water cannons were used to disperse the protestors and no excessive force was used during the protest.

  • Citing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘DNA’ remark, Digvijaya Singh questions need for anti-conversion laws

    By PTI
    SEHORE: Continuing his attack on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over his “DNA of all Indians is the same” remark, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh has if that was the case what was the need for BJP-ruled states to bring in laws against religious conversion and inter-faith marriages.

    A clutch of BJP-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh, have enacted legislations that outlaw religious conversions through marriage or by fraudulent means.

    “If the DNA of Hindu-Muslim is the same what was the need of religious conversion law and love-jihad law? Then, the DNA of Mohan Bhagwatji and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is the same,” Singh told reporters here on Wednesday night.

    The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister was asked to comment on Bhagwat’s controversial remark.

    In his address at an event, ‘Hindustan First Hindustani Best’, organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Bhagwat had said the “DNA of all Indians are the same”.

    Besides, Bhagwat had also said at the same event that “Cow is a holy animal, but those involved in lynching are against Hindutva.”

    The next day, Singh, a bitter critic of the BJP, said if Bhagwat is true to his words, he must give directions that all those leaders of the saffron party who “harassed” innocent Muslims be removed from their posts.

    Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and BJP leader Narottam Mishra on Thursday hit out at Singh over his criticism of the RSS chief.

    Taking to Twitter, Mishra said Bhagwat’s approach is to keep the unity and integrity of the country intact, while Singh’s thinking is opposite of that.

  • Digvijaya Singh’s thinking is narrow: BJP general-secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya

    By PTI
    INDORE: Taking a swipe at Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh for his comment on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday said the veteran Congress leader will not understand “Hindu philosophy”.

    He was reacting to a tweet by Singh where he posted pictures of Bhagwat and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and wrote “two sides of one coin”. “Hindu philosophy is very comprehensive. Singh will never understand it because his thinking is narrow and negative. So he always chose the way of appeasement,” Vijayvargiya told reporters here.

    “What Bhagwat has said is the point of view of `Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) which is the identity of our country,” he said. The RSS chief recently said that all Indians share the same DNA.

    Asked about speculation that he may contest the Khandwa Lok Sabha by-election, the BJP leader said the party will decide the candidate, adding “anyway, I live in Indore and why would I go to Khandwa?” Khandwa seat is vacant after the death of BJP MP Nandkumar Singh Chouhan.

    On reports about the Congress planning to set up “Bal Congress” for the 16-20 years age group, he said children should not be pressured to join a political party. “Let them play. They will choose the political party when they grow up and become capable of thinking,” he said.

    The BJP leader also inaugurated a 500-bed hospital here.

  • Like Bofors, set up JPC for Rafale deal: Digvijaya Singh to PM Narendra Modi

    By PTI
    INDORE: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Rafale fighter jet deal, like the one which scrutinized the Bofors deal in the 1980s.

    The Rajya Sabha member alleged large-scale corruption in the form of payment of commission in the Rafale deal.

    “France has started a probe in the Rafale case, but in India, where commission was paid, no inquiry is being conducted. If one compares the Rafale deal with the Bofors case, the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had, on his own, constituted a JPC,” Singh said.

    “If Modi has courage, he should constitute a JPC. We have a lot of questions and will get opportunity to raise them,” the Congress leader added.

    Nobody could prove a single charge against Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors case, he said.

    The Bofors scandal related to alleged payment of kickbacks in a deal to purchase howitzer guns from the Swedish manufacturer Bofors AB.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently demanded a JPC probe into alleged corruption in the fighter jet deal.

    A French judge has been appointed to lead a “highly sensitive” judicial probe into suspected “corruption” and “favouritism” in the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal with India, French investigative website Mediapart reported last week.

    Singh, meanwhile, also hit out at the Centre over the rise in fuel prices, claiming it impacted the middle class severely at a time when the tax collection from industrialists and large corporate houses has gone down.

    Modi is someone who takes decisions in haste and thinks later, he said, citing examples such as the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, demonetization and withdrawal of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

  • Remove BJP leaders who ‘harassed’ Muslims if true to your words: Digvijaya Singh to RSS chief

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat asserted that the DNA of all Indians is the same, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday said if Bhagwat is true to his words, he must give directions that all those BJP leaders who “harassed” innocent Muslims be removed from their posts.

    Singh, however, added that Bhagwat will not do so, alleging that there is a difference between his words and actions.

    In his address at an event ‘Hindustan First Hindustani Best’ organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Bhagwat also took on those indulging in lynching.

    “Cow is a holy animal, but those involved in lynching are against Hindutva,” he had said.

    Bhagwat had also said that though at times, some “false cases” of lynching have been registered against some people.

    AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit back at Bhagwat over his remarks, saying those criminals who carried out lynching may not know the difference between a cow and a buffalo but the names of Junaid, Akhlaq, Pehlu, Rakbar, Alimuddin were enough for them to kill.

    This hatred is the product of Hindutva and these criminals have the patronage of a government backing Hindutva, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) alleged.

    “Cowardice, violence and murder are an integral part of Godse’s Hindutva thinking.

    The lynching of Muslims is also the result of this thinking,” he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Tagging a report on the RSS chief’s remarks that the DNA of all Indians is the same and those asking Muslims to leave the country cannot call themselves Hindus, Singh said, “Mohan Bhagwat ji, will you pass on these views to your disciples, preachers, Vishwa Hindu Parishad/Bajrang Dal workers also? Will you pass on these teachings to Modi-Shah ji and BJP chief minister also?” “Mohan Bhagwat ji, if you make it obligatory for your disciples to follow this thought, I will become your admirer,” the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

    Alleging that the RSS had instilled “hatred” between Hindus and Muslims, Singh said it was now not easy to remove the “seeds of hatred” sown against Muslims from “Saraswati Shishu Mandir to the intellectual training provided by the Sangh.”

    “If you are honest with the views you expressed, then issue directions to remove all those leaders in the BJP, who have harassed innocent Muslims, from their posts immediately.

    Start with (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (UP Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath,” the Congress leader said. Referring to Bhagwat’s remarks giving primacy to being Indian, Singh asked Bhagwat to explain this to his disciples first as they “advised me to go to Pakistan many times”.

  • Digvijaya faces BJP fire over remarks on alleged meeting between Indian officials, Taliban

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh faced the BJP fire on Wednesday over his tweet about an alleged meeting between Indian officials and Taliban leaders with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying he has “Talibani mentality”.

    Slamming the Congress veteran, BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, speaking separately, claimed that “contacts” of the former CM are under the scanner.

    Sharing news reports, quoting a Qatar official, about a meeting between India government officials and Taliban leaders, Singh, in a tweet on Wednesday, said, “This is a very serious issue. The Government of India should make an immediate statement on this subject. Will BJP IT Cell take cognisance of this and put this into the category of sedition?” 

    Asked about the tweet, Vijayvargiya told reporters at the State BJP office here, “Right now, an investigation against Digvijaya Singh is underway to find out with whom he has been in contact.”

    However, Vijayvargiya did not elaborate on the nature of investigation against Singh and the agency which is conducting it.

    Reacting to the Congress leader’s tweet, Chouhan told reporters, “His (Digvijaya Singh’s) mentality is Talibani.”

    Earlier this month, the Madhya Pradesh BJP had demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Singh after the Congress leader, in a clubhouse chat, was purportedly heard saying that his party “would certainly have a re-look at the decision to revoke Article 370” (which provided special status to in Jammu and Kashmir).

    Asked about the meeting of opposition leaders at the house of NCP president Sharad Pawar in Delhi, Vijayvargiya said there is “panic” among them because of the “towering” personality of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “There is no one in the opposition who can even reach the knee height of Narendra Modi,” the BJP leader said, seeking to downplay the meeting.

  • Even Ambedkar would have been slandered as pro-Pakistan by BJP, says ex-J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The BJP would have slandered even B R Ambedkar, the father of Indian Constitution, as pro-Pakistan had he been alive, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said Sunday, amidst criticism of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over his remarks on Article 370.

    Mehbooba said Article 370 — which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir before its operative provisions were nullified by the Centre in 2019 — was granted by the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar, but it has been “subverted” by the Centre.

    Her remarks came amidst growing criticism of the Congress and Singh over his purported comments in an audio chat on social media that his party will have a “relook” at Article 370 revocation and Jammu and Kashmir’s lost statehood if it returns to power.

    The BJP has said that Singh’s remarks were part of a larger pattern of the party being “hand in glove” with Pakistan.

    PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who was a BJP ally for some time in Jammu and Kashmir, criticised the saffron party.

    “Thank god Ambedkar ji isn’t alive or else he too would be slandered as pro- Pakistan by BJP,” she said on Twitter.

    Singh had purportedly made the remark during a clubhouse conversation with a person, who the BJP said was a journalist of Pakistani origin.

    “The decision of revoking Article 370 and reducing the statehood of J&K is extremely, I would say, sad decision, and the Congress party would certainly have a relook on the issue,” Singh had said, according to excerpts of the clubhouse conversation available on social media.

  • PPE kit reuse video: Invoke NSA, Digvijaya Singh tells Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday said those involved in the washing and packing of used PPE kits for resale in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh must be charged under the stringent National Security Act.

    Singh, citing media reports on the issue, in a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said this was a “highly inhuman act” and was akin to “playing with the lives of others”.

    “Some news reports are stating that in Satna district’s Badkhera-based Indowater Biowaste Disposal Plant, PPE kits and gloves are being separated from the bio-medical waste arrived in the unit for safe disposal, and repacked after washing for selling them in the market,” he said in the letter.

    “It is surprising to know that this act was going on in the Badkhera unit for nearly a year and the government is not aware of it. It might be a very big scam,” Singh added, and asked Chouhan to book those involved in it under the NSA and ensure such stock was traced and destroyed.

    Meanwhile, Satna district Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Shahi told reporters the collector had ordered a probe after taking cognisance of the video showing PPE kits being readied for reuse in a unit in Badkhera.

    Pollution control board officials are carrying out the probe and action will be taken as per their report, Shahi added.

  • Congress leader Digvijaya Singh tests COVID-19 positive

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday said he has tested coronavirus positive.

    “My COVID-19 test report is positive. I have presently quarantined myself at my Delhi residence. Those who came in my contact should isolate themselves and keep a watch on their health by taking all precautions,” the Rajya Sabha member said in a tweet.

    The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister had given his sample for COVID-19 test to the staff of Delhi-based Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Thursday after developing symptoms.