Digvijaya Singh stirs row, says people in saffron robes raping inside temples
BHOPAL: Known for making controversial statements, ex-Madhya Pradesh chief minister and currently a Congress’ Rajya Sabha member, Digvijaya Singh made another controversial remark in Bhopal on Tuesday.
While addressing a Sant Samagam (conclave of Hindu seers led by self-styled controversial godman Computer Baba), Singh said, “people are wearing saffron clothes and raping, rapes are happening inside temples, Is this our religion?”
“Bhagwa vastra pahan kar log churan bech rahe hain, bhagwa vastra pahan kar balatkar ho rahe hain, mandiron mein balatkar ho rahein hain. Kya yahi hai humara dharma, hamare Sanatan Dharma ko jin logon nein badnam kiya hai unhe ishwar bhi maaf nahi karega (people wearing saffron clothes are selling churan, people are wearing saffron clothes and raping..rapes are happening inside temples, Is this our religion. Those who have defamed our Sanatan Dharma, not even God will forgive them),” said Singh while addressing the conclave of saffron-robed Hindu seers, where Chief Minister Kamal Nath was also present.
Singh didn’t stop there, but went on to say, “efforts are on in the country to capture mutts and temples, convert them into centres of politics, we’ll have to fight against it. I appeal the seers of Sanatan Dharma not to be used politically,” said Singh.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Singh said, “the BJP has only used religion to capture power. The Jai Shri Ram slogan has become political, hence the slogan Jai Siya Ram needs to be raised now. The Congress government in MP is committed to taking care of Sanskrit schools. I request the CM and government to include religion in the course curriculum of primary classes.”
It’s not the first time that Singh has made such controversial remarks, as a few weeks back he had alleged that it was more non-Muslims and less Muslims, who were spying in India at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI.
Reacting sharply to Singh’s “rapes inside temples” remark, the state BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal tweeted “Was the conclave of Hindu seers organized to defame the seers and their religion, the CM Kamal Nath needs to make it clear.”
Sharing a picture of Nath in which he is seated in a manner in which his shoe is facing a Hindu seer seated next to him at the same Tuesday conclave of seers in Bhopal, Agrawal questioned, “the CM and Digvijaya Singh need to make it clear what’s the position of seers ... is it what is being seen in these pictures.”
The BJP leader further tweeted, “which missionaries’ agenda is being pursued by Digvijaya Singh by defaming Hindus and Hindu seers. If anyone commits crime, it doesn’t make entire saffron robe-wearing fraternity suspects of crime. Will he (Singh) also make similar remarks about the attires of Maulvis and Padris.”
Addressing the same Sant Samagam, the CM Kamal Nath accused the previous BJP regime in the state of only committing scams in the name of Narmada river. In the Congress regime, the seers don’t need to demand anything, but will get what they want.”
Further training guns at the BJP, the CM said, “I’m fortunate that I got an opportunity to participate in this Sant Samagam. BJP is disturbed by this now just like it was disturbed when I was getting a temple built out of my own money in Chhindwara in the past.”