BHOPAL: Congress on Wednesday alleged that the ruling BJP "sponsored" the recent communal violence witnessed in parts of Madhya Pradesh, and the statements of the Chief Minister and Home Minister were not helpful for the maintenance of peace.
In a memorandum submitted to the state Director General of Police here, the opposition party also alleged that the houses of those allegedly involved in violence were being pulled down without following due procedure.
The BJP was running a parallel law and order machinery in Madhya Pradesh, it claimed.
The ruling party has been "misusing the power" and "sponsored the communal violence in Raisen, Ratlam, Khargone and Sendhwa," Congress alleged.
While violence was reported in Raisen and Ratlam a few weeks ago, trouble broke out at Khargone and Sendhwa during Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday.
Home Minister Narottam Mishra's "inciting" statements were exacerbating communal tensions, Congress claimed.
Congress legislator Arif Masood, who was part of the delegation which met the DGP, said there were instances where some dispute broke out at night and the administration started demolishing the houses (of alleged miscreants) the next morning "on the basis of a list sent by the BJP office and without ascertaining who were actually involved."
"I don't think the statements of chief minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) and home minister (Mishra) are helping establish peace...The demolition in the name of encroachment should be stopped," the MLA said.
Former state Congress president Arun Yadav, who led the delegation, claimed the law and order situation had deteriorated and intelligence failure was leading to incidents of violence.
Congress' memorandum also pointed out that no First Information Report was registered when senior BJP leader and former chief minister Uma Bharti was seen, in a video, pelting stones at a liquor shop in Bhopal during an agitation.
Curfew was clamped in the entire Khargone city on Sunday after stone pelting during a Ram Navami procession triggered arson. On the same day, stones were allegedly pelted at Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town too.