The proposed INDIA bloc rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal in October first week has been cancelled.
The announcement was made by former chief minister Kamal Nath on Saturday during an event to announce seven statewide Jan Aakrosh (public anger) Yatras, starting Ganesh Chaturthi on September 19, reported IE.
“It (Bhopal rally) is not going to happen,” Nath said, the report mentioned.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said no final decision has been taken on when and where it will now be held, it mentioned.
In reaction to Congress’ announcement to cancel its plan, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Opposition parties had taken the decision as people were angry with them for “insulting Sanatan Dharma”.
“This is the anger of the public. Sanatan Dharma was insulted and was called dengue and malaria. The people of Madhya Pradesh will not tolerate this… INDIA alliance must understand that it has hurt our faith and this won’t be tolerated at any cost. People of MP are angry and they (INDIA members) were scared, therefore they cancelled their rally…,” he was quoted in the report as having said.
Meanwhile, Congress’ Surjewala said, “What is Sanatan? It is the people of this country. Today on that very same Sanatan an attack has been called, that’s why this Jan Aakrosh Yatra (has been planned). Sanatan Dharma and traditions will continue to remain even after we are gone. Bharatiya Rashtriya Congress will propagate this tradition through this yatra,”the report mentioned.
“Those people, including PM Modi, use such language because they can’t give answer to the corruption (allegations) in Madhya Pradesh. Why doesn’t the PM answer why the patwari exam paper was sold for Rs 15 lakh? Why doesn’t he talk about when Vyapam scam accused will be given a sentence? Why doesn’t he talk about the 250 scams their government committed in 18 years?”he was quoted in the report as having said.
Speaking on the Sanatan Dharma row, Nath said, “Bharat is the nation of Sanatan Dharma. Why is the BJP trying to divert the attention of the people from real issues by bringing the Sanatan Dharma controversy. Remember the 2019 elections? Nationalism, surgical strike? How they diverted, how they changed the agenda, discussion. It’s like they have taken a contract of religion,”the report said.
“If I take part in some religious programme in Chhindwara, they get a stomach ache. We go to a temple because of our belief and not to bring it to the political stage, it should not be brought. There will only be one game of the BJP for the next three months, how to distract, talk about Sanatan Dharma, pick up a religious issue, how to have religious disputes… They won’t talk about the main issues,” Nath said, the report mentioned.
