Digvijay Singh worried over absence of mobile toilets on Narmada Parikrama

Jabalpur, Sep 29: Absence of mobile toilets along the 3,300 km long Narmada Parikrama (circumambulation) route has left senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who is starting his Yatra from Saturday, worried.

"I don't want the dhotis (lungis) of my colleagues or mine taken off during our yatra," said Singh in an apparent reference to Ranchi Municipal Corporation's (RMC) unique idea of punishing people defecating in the open by taking away their lungis.

Singh (70) was speaking to reporters here last evening. When he was asked about reports that the state government has not properly responded to his plea seeking mobile toilets for his 3,300 km long yatra, Singh said, "I wrote a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and chief secretary seeking mobile toilets among other things during my yatra (6-months), but an under secretary has replied to me stating that issues raised by me have been sent to departments concerned." "This is how the protocol is being followed in the state," Singh, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said. "I had been cold shouldered over hygiene issue," he added. "Nowadays anything can happen. Political hounding is going on in the country," Singh said.

"Arbitrary orders (Tughlaki Farmaan) are being issued under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (SBA)," he added. Singh is going to start his Narmada Parikrama, a walk along the banks of the river Narmada, from the holy Barman Ghat after seeking the blessings of his Guru Dwarka-Sharda Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, at Narsinghpur tomorrow.

Congress sources said Singh is undertaking this arduous exercise on the advice of Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati. The Congress leader will pass through 110 assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh and 20 assembly constituencies in Gujarat during his journey.

Assembly elections are due in the BJP-ruled state next year. Singh, descendant of the erstwhile royal family of Raghogarh, would be missing Dussehra festival -- falling on September 30 -- celebrations at the Raghogarh fort in Guna district for the first time this year. His family's tradition of celebrating Dussehra in a grand way dates backs to over three centuries.

PTI