Maksi violence due to MP BJP's membership drive, says Digvijaya; ruling party refutes allegation

Shajapur (MP), Sep 27 (PTI) The violence in Maksi in Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur district this week was triggered by the ruling BJP's membership drive, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on Friday.

One person was killed and seven injured after two groups clashed around 9.30 pm on Wednesday. Stones were hurled and firearms were used by members of the two groups. The violence was a fallout of a confrontation that occurred on Monday between the two groups, as per district authorities. Maksi is about 25 kilometres from the district headquarters.

The BJP rubbished Singh's charges as baseless and misleading.

"The incident in Maksi was purely the result of the pressure being mounted during BJP's membership drive. People have been openly told to become members of BJP or take bullets in the chest," Singh told reporters.

Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Shajapur, was speaking to the media after meeting the kin of Amzad Khan, who died from bullet injuries sustained in the clash.

Khan's brother Anwar explained the situation to Singh, who sought the transfer of Maksi superintendent of police and inspector as well as release of some jailed relatives of the deceased.

The Rajya Sabha MP also requested Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to order a judicial probe into the violence.

"When a person went to Maksi police inspector (on Monday) to lodge a complaint, he was booked and jailed. The next day, when his kin went to lodge a complaint at Shajapur (where the SP office is located), they were beaten up and preparations were made to burn down their house," Singh alleged.

Hitting back, district BJP president Ashok Nayak said, "Digvijaya Singh's statement is completely baseless and misleading. Our membership campaign is democratic, connected to commoners and in national interest. In this, there is no place for violence." As per the BJP, a total of 1,00,81,432 persons have become party members in MP between September 2 and 25, which it said was the highest after Uttar Pradesh.

The second phase of the membership drive commenced on October 1 and will end on October 15. PTI COR LAL BNM