MP minister continues attack Digvijaya Singh, questions his statements on BJP-RSS

BHOPAL: Chief minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday summoned forest minister Umang Singhar who on Monday claimed senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is “running the government from behind the curtains.” Umang Singhar continued his attack on the senior Congress leader on Tuesday openly questioning his statements against the

BJP-RSS

combine and Hindu-terror remarks.

“Why does Digvijaya Singh give statements that harm the Congress? Why does he speak on Hindu-terrorism and say that BJP—Bajrang Dal are spies for Pakistan?” Umang Singhar asked. He was referring to a comment made by the senior leader in Bhind on Saturday when he said that the BJP and Bajrang Dal were getting paid by Pakistan’s ISI. Singh had also said that more non-Muslims are involved in spying for Pakistan than Muslims.

The minister further alleged that former chief minister Digvijaya Singh is “number one black-mailer”. “What business doesn’t he do, from sand-mining to liquor? Why is Digvijaya Singh so hungry for money? At his age, he should be singing bhajans,” Singhar said.

Umang Singhar (45) is three times MLA from Gandhwani assembly seat in Dhar district. He is nephew of late Jamuna Devi, a tribal woman leader and former deputy chief minister of the Digvijaya Singh regime. Like Umang Singhar, his aunt Jamuna Devi was also known for caustic allegations against Digvijaya Singh. Once when Singh as chief minister was planning to drop her from the cabinet, Jamuna Devi had said, “I am burning in Digvijaya Singh’s tandoor.”
Last Sunday, Umang Singhar shot a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi accusing Digvijaya Singh of constantly interfering in state government affairs because he wants to become the “power-centre”.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Umang Singhar explained the letter. He said, “Obviously, the ways matters have been over the past eight to nine months, I have personally informed about this many times. That is why I had to write a letter this time.”

The present tussle between Digvijaya Singh and Singhar started with a letter that went viral on social media. On Friday, Digvijaya Singh wrote a letter to several cabinet ministers in the Kamal Nath government asking them to share information of departmental transfers. The letter got leaked the same day. “He wants to post his men in every department and in every district. Other than transfer and postings, he did not want information on development of the state. His only issue was transfer postings,” Singhar said. He added that the senior Congress leader wants to project himself as the “shadow chief minister”.

As Umang Singhar continuously levelled allegations on Digvijaya Singh, former Union minister of state Arun Yadav who was state PCC chief from January 2014 to May 2018 tweeted, “After 15 years of struggle in

Madhya Pradesh

with honest partymen, I am pained to see the situation surfacing today, if I had an inkling about this mess then I would not have risked my life and fought against the corrupt ideology. I am deeply pained.”

Reacting to Arun Yadav’s tweet, Umang Singhar said, “We are also pained. Digvijaya Singh was chief minister for ten years, then took sanyas in politics and thereafter went for his honeymoon. Now he is back to claim his piece of the pie. Where was Digvijaya Singh when the youth and workers of the state were struggling for 15 years?”

The minister on Tuesday invited Digvijaya Singh for tea. He said, “I will serve him sugarless tea which his body can digest.” But Digvijaya Singh did not turn-up for the tea or meeting with the minister. He left for New Delhi and scheduled to return only by weekend.

After an hour-long closed-door meeting with chief minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday late evening, the minister avoided the media. He rushed to his vehicle and sped away without answering questions.