Bhopal: The Congress in Madhya Pradesh is once again racked by infighting, this time over the allegations that Forest Minister Umang Singhar has leveled against Digvijaya Singh. Weighing-in on the matter, former Congress general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday said that the Madhya Pradesh government should be allowed to function freely and conduct an investigation into the allegations.
"We have come to power after 15 years in Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath must listen to Umang Singhar and conduct an inquiry," he said and further said that the Chief Minister is obliged to listen to both sides and arrive at an amicable resolution. His statement comes a day after several party workers, claiming to be supporters of veteran leader Digvijaya Singh, staged a protest outside Umang Singhar's residence.
On Tuesday evening, Singhar met with Kamal Nath in which he is likely to have discussed the issue. The Minister, however, desisted from commenting on the specifics of the meeting and only said, “The party is strong and there is no constitutional crisis.”
Then on Wednesday, during a media interaction, Singh declined to comment when he was asked about the accusation he had leveled against veteran Congress leader. Soon after, Congress workers, who were claiming allegiance to Digvijaya Singh, turned up at his residence and started protesting.
The demonstrators torched an effigy of the minister demanding his expulsion from the party. “We would continue to protest against Umang Singhar unless the party acts against him,” one of the agitated protesters told the media.
Party media cell in-charge Shobha Oza who had been present during the media interaction had claimed that there was no longer a tiff between the party leaders. Chief Minister Kamal Nath has conveyed his message and state in-charge Deepak Babaria also has written letters asking leaders not to speak on their issue outside party forum, Oza added.
Commenting on the protest staged by party workers, Oza said that the “overenthusiastic workers” had nothing to do with Digvijaya Singh. He, however, fended off queries on whether the party has taken note of Singhar’s allegations against Digvijaya Singh.
This possible stand-off between the two leaders comes on the heels of the Assembly by-poll in Jhabua, an area where Singhar has considerable influence but is facing a tough fight following the emergence of MLA Dr Hiralal Alawa’s Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti.
Several BJP leaders have also criticised the Congress over the internal discontent with its vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan even asking the grand-old party’s top brass to clarify.
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