Congress, BJP trade charges over stone-pelting on yatra in Madhya Pradesh

A day after stones were pelted on the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said the seven persons arrested so far were linked to the Congress

A day after stones were pelted on the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said the seven persons arrested so far were linked to the Congress even as he accused senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh of instigating people to carry out the attack. 

The Congress, on the other hand, linked the attack to a cheetah relocation project which would affect people in the Neemuch-Mandsaur area while labelling it as an outcome of people’s distrust over the government. 

“As far as the attack on the yatra is concerned, if you look behind the scene, you will understand. Kamal Nath ji had earlier said that stone pelting like Manipur was possible, had been trying to instigate for the past one month. Digvijaya [Singh] ji was giving example of Nuh in Haryana. He was also trying to instigate. The FIR that has been registered against one Khema Gurjar and seven others who have been arrested are linked to the Congress,” Mr. Mishra said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too attacked the Congress and referred to Mr. Nath’s statement and said the same created suspicion. He said the Congress would not succeed with such tactics and the BJP would secure a full majority in the elections due later this year. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Nath in a post on X (formerly Twitter) wrote that the farmers of the area (Rauli Kudi village where the stone pelting happened) were affected due to the “impractical” cheetah project which would take away their lands as well the grazing land for their livestock. 

“The region is burning with anger, while Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and BJP leaders, intoxicated by power, are ignoring public sentiments. I am with the people of Neemuch-Mandsaur area. I will not allow this injustice to happen. I demand from the Chief Minister to take immediate cognisance of the situation. Give relief to cattle herders and farmers who are being deprived of land due to the impractical cheetah project. Along with this, I promise the people of the area that when the Congress government comes, we will take decisions in the interest of the farmers of the area,” his post further read.