Digvijay stopped from meeting media in MP Assembly complex

Bhopal, Mar 24: Congress General Secretary and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh was stopped from holding a press conference in Madhya Pradesh Assembly's Press Room by the Speaker, holding that the facility was not available to "outsiders."

After watching the proceedings of the House from the Speaker's Gallery, Singh had plans to hold a press meet on the MPPEB scam later, but as he reached the media room, a marshal served him the order from Speaker Dr Sitasharan Sharma.

The Speaker issued the order through Principal Secretary Bhagwandev Israni, stating that no outsider would be allowed to hold a press meet in the Assembly complex.

"Except minister or a member of the House, no outsiders will be allowed to address press meet inside the Assembly," the order stated.

The Assembly's day-long session was called to pass the supplementary budget as the House was earlier adjourned sine die following ruckus by Congress members on the issue of MPPEB scam. Though the state's annual budget was passed by voice vote then, the government was unable to present supplementary budget for rest of the financial year.

On getting the order, Singh first went to another press room on the first floor and later walked outside the Vidhan Sabha to address mediapersons on the MPPEB scam.

"How can they describe a five-time Assembly member, two-term Chief Minister as an outsider. This way they cannot silence the voice of Digvijay Singh," the Congress leader said.

When asked whether this reflected the beginning of an Emergency-like situation, Singh said, "It is a beginning.But before that they will also silence the voice of the media."

Singh said that he had submitted the report of Bengaluru-based renowned 'Truth Lab', whose findings are even accepted by Supreme Court and High Court on the alleged tampering of hard disk seized by police from MPPEB office.

He alleged that "Indore police officials have tampered with the hard disk data by removing the name of "CM mentioned at 48 places in the original excel sheet."

"It was established by the Truth Lab report which we have submitted to the Special Investigative Team (SIT)," Singh said.

PTI