Posters in MP call Digvijaya Singh 'anti-Hindu'

Days after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh claimed that people donning "saffron robes" were committing rapes, some anonymous posters came up in the city, demanding a ban on his entry to Hindu religious places.

The posters, according to some people who saw them, were apparently put up around midnight outside various temples in the city, including the Parshuram temple in Char Imli area, by an unidentified right-wing body.

However, they were removed in the morning by unidentified persons.

The posters, carrying pictures of the Congress veteran, read: "Hindu samaj ki yahi pukar, Hindu virodhi Digvijaya Singh ke liye mandiron ke darwaze band hon, band hon Hindu Samaj (this is an appeal of Hindu society that doors of temples should be closed for anti-Hindu Digvijaya Singh)."

Singh kicked up a row on Tuesday by saying that people donning "saffron robes" are committing rapes which are taking place in "temples", and thus defaming the Sanatan Dharma (ancient religion).

He also said that such acts are "unforgivable".

Though Singh did not take names, his comments come close on the heels of a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations of rape levelled against BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand by a law student in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress leader, who had kicked up controversies in the past as well with his statements, also said the Sanatan dharma (ancient religion) is being defamed by such acts.

Meanwhile, local NGO Sanskriti Bachao Manch chief Chandrashekhar Tiwari dubbed the poster protest against Singh as a "natural reaction" by the Hindu community.

"I got to know about such posters against Singh. This is a natural reaction, given his repeated anti-Hindu barbs. This anger also resulted in his defeat during recent Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal seat," he told PTI.

However, state Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja dubbed Digvijaya Singh a "staunch Hindu" and alleged that the BJP "distorted" his comments for political gains.

"There is no bigger follower of the Sanatan Dharma, or the Hindu Dharma, than Digvijayaji in the state. The BJP distorted his statement for political benefits," he said.

"He (Singh) talked about the saffron-clad people involved in such acts and people know about them. Everybody knows that Digvijayaji is a very religious person," Saluja said.