Digvijaya Singh softens stance, says no ban on Bajrang Dal if party comes to power
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Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, a senior leader of the Congress party, announced a shift in his stance towards the right-wing organization Bajrang Dal.
Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters in Bhopal on Wednesday, Singh stated that if the Congress were to come to power in the upcoming Assembly polls, the party would not ban Bajrang Dal, citing the possibility of "some good people" being associated with it.
The veteran Congress leader, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, however, asserted that the party would not spare anyone instigating riots or violence. Digivijaya’s statement was completely opposite to his own remarks made on Bajrang Dal in the past as he has even advocated for banning the right-wing outfit.
“We will not ban Bajrang Dal [if we win polls in Madhya Pradesh] as there can be some good people in Bajrang Dal as well, but we will not spare anyone involved in riots or violence,” Digvijaya Singh said during a Press conference at party headquarters in Bhopal on Wednesday.
Interestingly, Singh's statement on Bajrang Dal came one-and-a-half weeks after his senior party colleague and state Congress President Kamal Nath organised a four-day 'Ram Katha' at a temple of Lord Hanuman built by himself in his home district Chhindwara.
At the same time, Digvijaya Singh also said, “Bajrang Dal is a group of goons and anti-social elements. This country belongs to all, so Modi ji and Shivraj ji [current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan] stop dividing the country and establish peace in the country which will lead to development.”
Earlier this year, Congress’ poll promise in Karnataka of banning outfits like Bajrang Dal had turned into a major controversy, with BJP making it a big issue during its campaigns. The BJP was also trying to corner the Congress in Madhya Pradesh over this issue as the assembly elections are just four months away.
The Bajrang Dal set up during the Ram temple movement, is the youth wing of the right-wing organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).