The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was on Tuesday adjourned for 10 minutes after the Congress raised an uproar over arms display by the Bajrang Dal at a public meeting and the RSS path-sanchalan with batons on disputed structure demolition anniversary.
During zero hour in the House, Congress MlA Arif Aqueel displayed a newspaper claiming that with open display of arms by certain organisations and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, there is an environment of fear and terror being cultivated in the State.
The newspaper carried three pictures. The first one showed CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his wife Sadhna holding swords and participating in the ‘Prakash parv’ celebration with Sikh community. The second picture was Bajrang Dal activists armed with swords and attending VHP international president Praveen Togadia's public meeting in the city, while the third one was RSS drill with organisation workers marching with armed with sticks. All three programmes took place on Sunday which was also 23rd anniversary of dispute structure demolition.
Congress member Arif Aqeel said, “Open arms display by certain communities is being done to create a psychosis of fear in the State.” The ruling BJP immediately protested and there was bedlam in the house. Several Congress MlAs rushed to the well of the House.
Speaker Sitasaran Sharma asked that everything being said by Aqueel be expunged. But since CM's photograph was also part of the newspaper, he rose to defend himself. Chouhan said that some things have been said by Arif Aqueel. “But in the Chief Minister’s official residence, we celebrate festivals of all communities. While we celebrate Roza Iftar and welcome Muslim community with open arms, we also observe Prakash Parv of Sikh community. It is a custom to hold swords as part of the festival. And we celebrate all festivals to bring out the true essence of Sarv Dharm Sambhav which is the true culture of the nation,” he added.