Congress internal rift deepens in Madhya Pradesh after Digvijaya Singh contradicts Patwari's land allegation
The Congress party in Madhya Pradesh is facing fresh internal discord after senior leader Digvijaya Singh publicly contradicted state party president Jitu Patwari's allegations regarding a land transaction in Ujjain. The controversy erupted just as the party was attempting to corner Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over an alleged land scam involving the Chief Minister's family members.
On June 24, Patwari, during a press conference in New Delhi, alleged that government land worth ₹500 crore in Ujjain had been transferred to a trust named Veer Bharat Nyas for a token amount of ₹1. He claimed that Chief Minister Yadav's cultural advisor, Shriram Tiwari, was a trustee of the trust.
However, days later, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh held a press conference in Ujjain and refuted these claims. Singh stated that the land was not given to a private trust but to a government trust, whose ex-officio chairman is the Chief Minister. He asserted that he had verified documents before making his statement. Singh also made remarks about 'brokers' who make false allegations and extort money, which were interpreted by some as targeting Patwari.
The contradiction sparked a series of meetings and public statements among Congress leaders. Several party members criticized Singh on social media, while others urged unity. The Congress Political Affairs Committee (PAC) held a meeting where the issue was discussed. Some leaders reportedly used terms like 'sleeper cell', though Bhopal MLA Arif Masood later denied using such language.
Former Union Minister Arun Yadav tweeted seeking Rahul Gandhi's intervention, alleging that some individuals were trying to break the morale of party workers through a contrived conspiracy.
After the PAC meeting, Singh and Patwari jointly addressed a press conference to project unity. Singh clarified that he did not intend to call Patwari a 'broker', explaining that the word 'dalaal' was used for a local journalist with the surname Dalal. He emphasized his long association with the Congress and described Patwari as like a son.
The BJP has seized upon the incident, accusing the Congress of making false allegations. BJP leaders pointed out that Singh's statement exposed Patwari's claims as baseless.
The episode highlights ongoing factionalism within the Madhya Pradesh Congress, which has faced several setbacks recently, including the rejection of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination in June 2024.
