Digvijaya Singh faces flak over 'BJP planning Nuh-like riots in MP' remark

2023 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election: Digivijaya Singh alleged the BJP is "planning communal riots" in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the assembly elections

Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijaya Singh, has triggered a row with his controversial remarks against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), drawing sharp condemnation from its party leaders.

Digvijaya Singh alleged the BJP is "planning communal riots" in Madhya Pradesh before the assembly elections, just as they "orchestrated violence" in Haryana's Nuh.  

"The way these people caused communal violence in Nuh in Haryana, they have plans to instigate such riots in Madhya Pradesh," Singh said while addressing a gathering of lawyers in Bhopal.

"I have never witnessed such injustice and oppression against the minority community in my life. I have received information that the government is devising a scheme. Just as they orchestrated communal riots in Haryana's Nuh, they seem to have a plan to instigate riots here. This strategy is driven by the BJP's understanding that the people in the state harbour anger and resentment against them," Singh was quoted by Times of India (ToI).

He further stated that the BJP is planning riots in Madhya Pradesh because the party can sense its imminent defeat in the upcoming elections.

"The BJP knows there is a lot of resentment against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state," he said, adding, "Hopefully, we are going to form the next government in the state."

Responding to the allegations, state BJP President VD Sharma said that Singh has no credibility left in the party.

Dubbing him "Bantadhar [Disaster]", Sharma said, "he is known for making such baseless allegations. The BJP does politics of development. Digivijaya Singh left Madhya Pradesh in 2003 in a pitiable condition, and it was his party which made development in the region."

At least six people, including two home guards and a mosque cleric, were killed in the clashes in Haryana's Nuh earlier this month.

The clash broke out over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession and later spread to Gurugram, Palwal and other districts of Haryana. Several vehicles, food joints, and shops were set on fire by unruly mobs.

More than 390 people have been arrested and 118 others detained in connection with the violence, officials said.

Madhya Pradesh Assembly election 2023

The 2023 Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly election is scheduled to be held in or before November to elect all 230 members.

In the 2018 election, the Congress emerged as the single-largest party. With the backing of the Samajwadi Party's one MLA, the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) two MLAs, and the four Independent MLAs, the Congress secured 114 seats and formed the government, with Kamal Nath becoming the chief minister.

However, in 2020, 22 Congress MLAs, loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, left the party and joined the BJP. Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the BJP took office as the chief minister again on March 23, 2020.