Digvijaya slams MP govt over ‘rising’ communal tension, deplores Wangchuk's arrest

Indore, Sep 27 (PTI) Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday attacked the Madhya Pradesh government over what he described as growing communal tensions in the state and condemned the arrest of activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act (NSA).

Talking to reporters here, Singh also lashed out at BJP minister Kailash Vijayvargiya for claiming that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was influenced by foreign culture.

The Rajya Sabha member was here in connection with the hearing of his public interest litigation at the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Sing had filed the PIL in 2021 seeking the implementation of the Supreme Court’s 2018 Tehseen Poonawalla guidelines to curb mob violence and maintain communal harmony. “My PIL primarily focused on the rising communal tension in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

The Congress leader said “far-right” elements are threatening some shopkeepers near the Sitlamata temple at Sarafa Bazaar to vacate their shops. “I’ll meet the shopkeepers,” he said, expressing concern over the "deteriorating communal harmony" in the state.

On Wangchuk’s arrest following unrest and violence in Ladakh, the Congress leader said, the climate activist has given an identity to Ladakh, its culture and heritage and has served in every possible way through education and healthcare. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated him until 2019, Singh said.

“Wangchuk’s initial demand to make Ladakh a Union Territory was accepted by the government. Now, they have demanded the Sixth Schedule, the same rights given to the people of the Northeast. The Centre promised both, but did not keep its word after the elections,” he said.

“NSA has been imposed on a person who follows Gandhian philosophy,” Singh said.

The Congress leader also slammed Vijayvargiya, who had claimed that Rahul Gandhi is influenced by foreign culture and behaves accordingly.

“I did not expect this from Kailash Vijayvargiya. He portrays himself as very cultured and religious. If a brother loves his sister and hugs her, why do you interpret it wrongly? This is against the traditions of Sanatan Dharma. I strongly condemn this,” he added.

Speaking at a symposium in Shajapur on Thursday, Vijayvargiya had said that Gandhi kisses his sister in a public square, while in Indian culture, people do not even drink water in their sister’s place.

Though Singh had announced his plan to meet shopkeepers, particularly Muslims, near the Sitlamata temple in Sarafa Bazaar, the police did not allow him to proceed with it. Singh was told to go to the police station to air his grievance, eyewitnesses said. PTI COR LAL NR