Some Muslim organisations play political games by siding with BJP: Digvijaya Singh
Indore, Apr 13: Alleging that recent communal riots in different states on Ram Navami were "fully sponsored", Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday claimed that some Muslim outfits are playing political games by hobnobbing with BJP.
Claiming a pattern behind recent communal clashes, Singh alleged that "religious frenzy" is the "biggest weapon" of the BJP for dividing Hindus and Muslims.
He also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on recent riots.
Khargone city in Madhya Pradesh is under a curfew since Sunday following incidents of arson and stone-pelting during Ram Navami celebrations. Similar clashes had broken out between two communities in two cities in Gujarat and at Lohardaga in Jharkhand on Sunday.
"There is a pattern and these incidents are fully sponsored. There are some Muslim organisations which completely work with the BJP. These outfits are playing political games by hobnobbing with BJP," Singh alleged when asked by reporters if he sees any pattern behind the communal riots that occurred in different states on Ram Navami.
Singh, however, didn't name any Muslim outfits which he claimed are in cahoots with BJP.
The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister claimed the BJP was using its "biggest weapon of religious frenzy" to divide Hindus and Muslims politically.
Singh also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on recent riots.
"I am saddened that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent on recent riots. Otherwise, he tweets or gives statements even if someone's finger is injured," he said.
On multiple cases registered against him in five cities of Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, for his controversial tweet, Singh said he had only questioned whether it was appropriate to hoist the flag of religion at a religious place belonging to another faith.
"I spoke of brotherhood, love, harmony and non-violence throughout my life. But cases were registered against me on the charges of inciting riots and spreading communal frenzy," he claimed.
Police had said that FIRs were registered against Singh for allegedly promoting religious enmity after he tweeted a picture of a mosque in another state while commenting on communal violence at Khargone. He later deleted that tweet.
Singh held the district administration and police responsible for the Khargone riots and demanded a detailed investigation. He also alleged that government intelligence had failed to stop the communal clashes.
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Raj Thackeray questions need for NEET, demands Pradhan’s resignation
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Thursday questioned the need for NEET-UG and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek the resignation of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
Thackeray's demand comes amid massive protests over the cancellation of the examination following allegations of paper leak.
The MNS chief said the government is so “obsessed” with bringing everything under a centralised authority that it appears to make no difference if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are thrown into “disarray”.
In a post on X, Thackeray said that for several years now, a single individual (Pradhan) has remained entrenched in the position of Union education minister. Despite numerous “irregularities” and “scandals” within the NEET framework during his tenure, this “gentleman” continues to occupy the post, he said.
“One wonders: has he been rewarded with this continued tenure because he is so zealously pursuing the agenda of imposing the Hindi language across the entire nation? I earnestly appeal to the Prime Minister: please demand the immediate resignation of this Minister of yours, who has repeatedly toyed with the lives and future of 22 lakh students,” Thackeray said.
The National Testing Agency on Tuesday cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”. The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately.
Thackeray said the Centre continues its tradition of creating “chaos” in every matter and holding the public to ransom. The “NEET paper leak” has proved this once again, he said.
Thackeray sought to know what the Centre did when it found out the alleged malpractice. It merely cancelled the examination and ordered a CBI inquiry, he said.
In 2024, a CBI inquiry was ordered in a similar case, but nothing substantial was achieved through it, he said.
The government projects an air of having fulfilled its duty in all of this. But what about the lives of 22 lakh students and their families, who have been left hanging in the balance, he asked.
Thackeray said fundamentally, there was no need to “impose” NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test)-UG back in 2016.
“However, this government’s obsession with bringing everything under a single, centralised authority is so intense that, to them, it seems to make no difference if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are thrown into disarray,” he said.
The MNS chief also asked ministers within the Maharashtra government to show some “spine” and join voices with those of the southern states and oppose this system.
Thackeray said leaders from the southern states have voiced their opposition in much the same way as he. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has also demanded the cancellation of NEET. The reason for this is that the five southern states, combined with Maharashtra, collectively possess over 350 medical colleges, whereas the large states in the north have only 180 medical colleges, he said.
Consequently, this persistent push that began in 2016 is essentially an attempt to facilitate the “entry of students from the north into medical colleges in the south”, alleged Thackeray. To ensure this, the largest network of coaching classes has been established in the northern states, he claimed.
