With just a few weeks remaining for the 2019 general elections, political parties have changed gears to match pace with their opponents. Debate and discussions over probable candidates have taken the front seat, with parties trying to decide as early and diligently as they can. Parties coming out with the list of candidates are facing strict scrutiny from voters on social media and other platforms. Not staying behind are party ideologues trying hard to garner votes for their parties over different platforms.
Tehseen Poonawalla, a Congress ideologue and close aide of Rahul Gandhi in a similar attempt had tweeted:-
Well for haters : Digvijaya Singh is the next home minister of India if it is a UPA government.
— Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 (@tehseenp) March 24, 2019
Tehseen in his tweet has indicated towards Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Digvijaya Singh being the home minister ‘if’ UPA emerges as the victor in the 2019 polls. Digvijaya Singh, who will be contesting Lok Sabha elections after 16 years form Bhopal which has been a BJP stronghold since 1989, was under the cloud of controversies over his insensitive remarks on Hinduism. Digvijaya Singh had said “So, this ideology is spreading hatred, hatred breeds violence, and from violence is bred terrorism,” relating terrorism to Hindu ideology. Even Congress recognized the blunder committed by Digvijaya Singh and went in to rescue mode, with senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid trying to minimize the damage, he said, “Ideologically Digvijaya Singh has very strong views. He has opposed minority extremism and said that every kind of extremism is bad. We must contextualize what he said rather than generalize it and think he is saying it against one community or organization.”
Digvijaya’s remarks over the cowardly 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistan based terrorist gunned down more than 160 civilians will test any Indian’s patience. Digvijaya Singh instead of putting heat on Pakistan and its fundamental organisations, claimed the attack to be an internal conspiracy of the RSS. The Pakistan based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba took the responsibility of the attack with Indian forces even arresting Ajmal Kasab, one of the 10 terrorists. Digvijaya Singh even went to the length of releasing books in this regard. Congress media chairperson Janardan Dwivedi again came to the rescue of Congress, distancing the party from Digvijaya’s stand. He said, “Mr. Singh has made that private conversation public in a programme, and the party has no role into it. Hence only he can comment on it.”
The peddling of political agendas has for multiple occasions, trumped national security in Digvijaya Singh’s discourse. Digvijaya Singh was also in the crosshairs over his controversial remarks on the 2008 Batla house operation, which saw police gunning down several Indian Mujahedeen terrorist after serial blasts shook Delhi in September of 2008, which saw deaths of over 30 people and more than 100 people getting injured. Digvijaya Singh catering to his political agenda had questioned the sanctity of the operation calling it a “fake encounter”. In 2009, the Delhi High Court had declined to institute a judicial probe into the gun battle after concrete evidence substantiating the events had emerged.
BJP questioning Digvijaya intent called him a ‘Pseudo Secularist’, however, it was Congress who sharply distanced themselves from the comments made by Digvijaya Singh. Abhishek Manu Singhvi another Congress spokesperson reiterating Congresses stand had said, “The Congress has always maintained and also the then Congress-led government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister Shivraj Patil, that this was not a fake encounter.”
With a gloomy track record of Digvijaya Singh on critical issues, him being the home minister is sure to not go down well with many. Many believe, his attitude against Hindus and continuous attempts to establish the imaginative ‘Hindu terror narrative’ in the mainstream discourse is indicative of his broken analysis on serious issues. Digvijaya Singh being the home minister of a nation like India is a daunting thought not only for the country’s national security but also for the Hindu Community.