Digvijay blames MP CM for communal tension

Bhopal, Mar 12 (UNI) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh today expressed concern in the Assembly over the ''widening communal divide'' in Madhya Pradesh and held Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's ''inaction''responsible for the impasse.

''The Chief Minister's inaction and commitment to a different ideology were responsible for mounting communal tension across the state. Pamphlets dubbing Muslims as terrorists were being distributed. BJP and Bajrang Dal workers unleashed terror on Muslims and Christians,'' Mr Singh alleged while initiating the general debate on the state's budgetary demands for 2007-08.

Referring to a BJP charge that he (Mr Singh) had advance information about the communal flare-up, Mr Singh said that it was unimaginable that he created a rift between Hindus and Muslims. Rather BJP leaders fanned communalism, he added.

Muslims and Christians were living under terror over the past three years of BJP rule, he said.

Without identifying the person, he charged that a BJP Minister was abetting communal tension in Indore by organising ''arti'' and other religious programmes at the Karbala Maidan.

''Several towns in western Madhya Pradesh and Jabalpur were sitting on powder kegs,'' he said referring to mounting tension in Indore, Rajgarh, Susner and Jabalpur.

He recalled late Congress veteran D P Mishra's claim that only a chief minister could ignite or control riots and said that the present Chief Minister's inaction was responsible for the present explosive situation.

The former Chief Minister charged that ruling party leaders had adopted the tactic of beating up officials who did not toe their line and added that over 3,000 officials were roughed up over the past three years and no action was taken against the accused.

UNI