BJP using names of tribal icons for political purpose: Digvijaya Singh

On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bhopal, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday alleged the BJP was using the names of tribal icons Birsa Munda and Gond queen Rani Kamalapati for political benefit but in reality, some leaders of the ruling party are committing "atrocities" against tribal people in the state.

Hitting back, MP BJP spokesperson Neha Bagga said that instead of levelling baseless allegations against the saffron party Singh should come clean on the land grabbing done by his son-in-law in Panna.

Modiji is coming (to Bhopal) on the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda to address 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas' tomorrow. I pose many questions to Modiji today, the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters.

A complaint has come from Sidhi that a BJP MLA has grabbed the land of a tribal and transferred it in his name. In Panna district, MP BJP president VD Sharma's 'numainde' (representative) Khunna Maharaj Trivedi's family has allegedly grabbed valuable lands of some tribals. They had demolished the houses of tribals and constructed houses over that land," Singh said.

He questioned why Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan did not restore or renovate the palace of Gond queen Kamalapati in Sehore, which is the home district of Chouhan.

"If they have so much respect for Rani Kamalapati why are they not getting her palace in ruins, restored?" he asked.

The Habibganj railway station in Bhopal was on Saturday renamed after Rani Kamalapati.

PM Modi is scheduled to inaugurate this station on Monday.

Singh alleged that BJP was deriving political mileage out of Rani Kamalapati.

These cosmetic changes are an experiment to improve an ugly face," he said.

Singh alleged that a tribal woman, her son and daughter and two Dalits were killed and buried at Nemawar in the Dewas district (in June). "The accused was from the BJP", he alleged.

He also questioned the death of a tribal man under "mysterious circumstances".

"The BJP is trying to derive a political mileage in the name of Birsa Munda," he said and alleged that the MP government has allotted Rs 13 crore meant for the tribal welfare schemes for Monday's convention to be attended by the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Bagga claimed that when Digvijaya Singh was the chief minister (1993 to 2003) of Madhya Pradesh he had allotted a large tract of land meant for growing fruits under a scheme in Panna to a Congress leader.

"But that leader used the land for other purposes and was not freeing it. The BJP government has finally taken possession of this land. So, Digvijaya Singh is fuming and giving false statements against BJP," Bagga added.