BHOPAL: Former chief minister and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday took to Twitter to slam the Sangh Parivar for the communal violence that hit Khargone town during the Ram Navami celebration. However, he scored a self-goal by tweeting a photo that has nothing to do with the state.
In one of a series of tweets, Singh used a picture in which a youth can be seen hoisting a saffron flag on a worship place of the Muslim community.
While suggesting that the picture pertained to Khargone, Singh questioned, "is it appropriate to hoist a flag while wielding lathi and sword? Did the Khargone administration allow carrying out a procession with arms? Irrespective of which religion they belong to, will the bulldozer do its job on all the stone-pelters? Don't forget Shivraj Ji (the MP CM) that you've taken the oath of office to run the government neutrally."
However, the picture tweeted by Singh turned out to be taken outside MP and the septuagenarian was forced to delete the controversial tweet.
The tweet, however, had by then triggered a political controversy in the state.
Ruling BJP MLA from Huzur (Bhopal) Rameshwar Sharma demanded action against Singh. The state home's minister Narottam Mishra was quick to take note of screenshots of Singh's deleted tweet.
"It's not a question of him (Singh) having deleted the tweet, as the screenshot of the tweet had already gone viral before he deleted it. He is constantly misleading people and fomenting a religious frenzy. We're consulting legal experts, about what appropriate legal action can be initiated against Singh," the home minister said.
CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while cautioning Singh over such tweets, said "whoever the individual is, it doesn't matter, but such developments won't be tolerated. The ex-CM has hatched a conspiracy to fan religious frenzy and push the state into the fire of communal riots, it cannot be tolerated."
The ex-CM, meanwhile, also questioned the bulldozing action against the "illegal" properties of "rioters" in Khargone and Sendhwa towns.
"The Indian Constitution grants every citizen the right to practice their own religion. Action by Shivraj Singh Chouhan government on the basis of religion is unconstitutional."
"I'm principally against any action without serving notice or giving a suitable hearing. Does the country's constitution have any provision for the present bulldozer culture? But if you've to run the bulldozer illegally, then that action shouldn't discriminate on the basis of religion," Singh tweeted.
The authorities had bulldozed at least 52 "illegal properties" of people involved in violence in Khargone and Sendhwa towns on Monday. Sources say similar actions are likely to continue in the coming days.
Reacting to Singh's tweets questioning bulldozing action, the MP home minister Narottam Mishra questioned "there were no tweets when Singh and Asaduddin Owaisi's Shanti Doots (messengers of peace) were pelting stones on Ram Navami processions. Tweets are being done only when action is being taken against stone pelters. The bulldozing action which started on Monday will continue," Mishra said