Madhya Pradesh assembly elections: Kamal Nath's 'tear Digvijaya's clothes' remarks spark row

The controversy erupted after Kamal Nath told Congress entrant Virendra Singh Raghuvanshi's supporters to "tear Digvijaya's clothes" amid Congress's dilemma over ticket distribution for Shivpuri seat.

Bhopal: As Congress seeks to oust the incumbent Shivraj Singh Chouhan led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming assembly elections, two of its senior most leaders and former chief ministers Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath have found themselves in the midst of a controversy over the assembly ticket for Shivpuri constituency.

The controversy has erupted amid Congress's dilemma on whether to give a ticket to Digvijaya loyalist KP Singh or new entrant Virendra Singh Raghuvanshi. Raghuvanshi's supporters had recently staged a dharna at a party function and were later pacified by Congress's chief minister candidate Kamal Nath.

However, a purported video of the event has created an uproar with Kamal Nath asking Raghuvanshi's supporters to “tear Digvijaya's clothes”. "I myself wish for Veerendra Raghuvanshi to get a ticket. But I have left it to Digvijay Singh and Jayvardhan Singh, there seems to be some confusion. You go and tear Digvijay Singh and Jayvardhan Singh's clothes," Kamal Nath is seen telling Raghuvanshi's supporters in the video.

The bitterness of the controversy that started over giving ticket to KP Singh from Shivpuri assembly constituency was also visible on the stage of Congress promissory note release program on Tuesday. Congress State President Kamal Nath while addressing the program clarified his statement to Raghuvanshi's supporters.

“I had said that if someone does not listen to you, tear his clothes”. Interrupting Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh, who was also present on the stage, said that “clothes of those whose signatures are on Form A and Form B should also be torn,” in an apparent dig at the party high command over ticket distribution. Digvijaya Singh also took to X, formerly known as Twitter.

“When a family grows, there is both collective happiness and collective conflict. Wisdom says that elders should patiently find a solution. God also supports those who have a combination of mind and hard work. Narmade Har,” Singh wrote in a post on X.