Opposition slams bulldozer action against Muslims in MP; BJP questions the criticism

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at the BJP over the 'bulldozer' action of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh against "stone pelters" belonging to a particular community for violence during Ram Navami.

The Congress has been trying to corner the BJP government by drawing attention to "inflation and unemployment". "Inflation and unemployment have made the countrymen's life hell. The government should run bulldozer on these problems of people, but the BJP's bulldozer is carrying hatred and terror", Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi called the action by the Madhya Pradesh government illegal and arbitrary. MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who strongly justified the action, took potshots at Owaisi, reminding him, "Owaisi Ji did not raise his objections on stone-pelting...but is now objecting to action against stone pelters, which reveals what is hurting him."

Also read: Vehicles torched amid curfew in MP's Khargone; Muslim clerics meet DGP, raise question over demolitions

Mishra also attacked former Madhya Pradesh CM and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath saying Nath is "Khargone incident reveals the real face of Congress and Nath. Nath is not speaking anything on the stone pelting on the Ramnavami procession while his party's tweet has come in favour of rioteers."

Meanwhile, Muslim body Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind alleged 'harassment of minority community'. Its chief, Maulana Mahmood Madani, wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention "to prosecute all those who instigated the violence during the procession that caused this incident."

A political row kicked in after the district administration in Khargone demolished several Muslim houses belonging to the people accused.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram hit out at the BJP government over the action saying, "Lord Ram is celebrated as Maryada Purushottam... On Lord Ram's birthday, acts of intolerance, violence and hate are committed. The highest leaders of the country refuse to hear or see the evil of spreading hate...Every day, we are becoming a less free country..."

CPM questioned the alleged "deafening silence of the PM even though such incidents have occurred in seven states", which raises the concern that these events have the "patronage" of those in power.

While internet services were suspended in parts of Odisha after clashes over the Ram Navami rally, Jharkhand saw one person killed and 12 others injured.

Shiv Sena in Maharashtra took potshots at BJP and referred in its mouthpiece to the JNU clash over serving non-vegetarian food in the canteen on Ram Navami and alleged that the BJP was trying to divert attention from issues like inflation and unemployment and alleged that "BJP is maligning Lord Ram's name".

Check out DH's latest videos