Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh (File | PTI)
Former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh (File | PTI)

Digvijaya Singh says 'non-Muslims spying for Pakistan’s ISI more than Muslims', kicks up stir

On expected lines, Singh’s statements prompted sharp reactions from BJP leaders.

BHOPAL: A political controversy has erupted in Madhya Pradesh, after the former chief minister and Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh said that "Non-Muslims are spying for Pakistan’s ISI more than Muslims".

Singh, whose utterances have often triggered controversy in the past, told journalists in Bhind district on Saturday, “Pakistan se ISI ke liye jasoosi Musalman kum kar rahein, gair musalman jyada kar rahein hain, is baat ko bhi samajh lijiye. (Non-Muslims are spying for Pakistan’s ISI more than Muslims)".

Reffering  to the arrest of men associated with the BJP and Bajrang Dal in the past in spying and terror funding related cases in MP, Singh said “ek baat mat bhooliye jitne bhi Pakistan ke liye jasoosi karte paye gaye hain…Bajrang Dal, BJP ISI se paisa le rahe hain ispar thoda dhyan dijiye. (Don’t forget, all those who’ve been caught spying for Pakistan….Bajrang Dal, BJP are taking money from ISI, attention should be paid to this also).”

A day later, Singh, however, tweeted on Sunday to make it clear, “some TV channels are telecasting that I’ve accused BJP of taking money from ISI for spying, it’s incorrect. I referred about some office bearers of BJP’s IT Cell and Bajrang Dal, who have been caught by the MP Police in the past for taking money from Pakistan’s ISI. I still stick to my statement.”

On expected lines, Singh’s statements prompted sharp reactions from BJP leaders.

“He (Digvijaya Singh) makes controversial statements to grab headlines, as after losing the polls, he has to make controversial statements to stay in news. It’s Digvijaya Singh and other Congress leaders, who speak in the language of Pakistan and ISI. Recently this has been exposed after Pakistan quoted Rahul Gandhi’s statements in its favour. It’s the Congress only which views terror and anti-nationals on communal lines, for the RSS and BJP, anti-national elements have no religion,” said ex-CM and BJP national vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

“Instead it’s Digvijaya Singh who speaks Pakistan/ISI’s language by addressing global terrorist Osama Bin Laden as Osamaji in the past. He (Singh) glorifies terrorists with his honourable statements, visits the homes of terrorists killed in encounter, but has no time to meet families of those martyred while taking on terrorists,” said Chouhan, while referring to Singh’s 2010 visit to Azamgarh district of UP to meet families of Indian Mujahideen terrorists gunned down in the 2008 Batla House encounter in Delhi.

Reacting to Singh’s statements, Bajrang Dal leader Sohan Solanki said, “He (Singh) is speaking the language of Pakistan and terrorists. If he cannot live without speaking against Hindus and India, he should better go to Pakistan. Bajrang Dal with 40 lakh workers is a nationalist organization, we condemn Digvijaya Singh’s anti-Hindu statements and statements against Bajrang Dal, we’ll lodge a case against him.”

Importantly, the MP Police’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) had busted a Chinese SIM Box-enabled spying ring by arresting 16 men from MP and other states in February 2017. The arrested men included BJP IT Cell office-bearer Dhruv Saxena and Balram Singh, who was associated with Bajrang Dal.

Two other men arrested in that case too were close relatives of BJP leaders in Gwalior and Chhatarpur. Balram Singh, who was released on bail last year has again been arrested by MP ATS in connection with a Pakistan-guided suspected spying/terror funding racket recently.

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