Never opposed ban on PFI as claimed by Shah, says Digvijaya

Bhopal, April 27

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s allegation that he had opposed the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and instead accused the BJP of contesting polls in Karnataka in alliance with PFI’s political unit.

Singh, the Congress candidate from Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, also countered Shah’s allegation concerning the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), saying he had banned the outfit when was MP’s Chief Minister.

Addressing a rally in Khilchipur under Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat on Friday, Shah had accused Singh of opposing the ban on PFI and the capital punishment for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru besides using the term ‘bhagwa aatankwad (saffron terror)”.

Singh said Shah took his name 17 times and spoke lies about him eight times.

Singh wrote on X that Shah had claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi included personal loans for Muslims in their party manifesto on his advice. But the fact is that there is no mention of “Muslim personal loan” in Congress’ manifesto, said Singh, asserting that he had never used the term “bhagwa aatankwad” as claimed by Shah.

The Rajya Sabha member said he never opposed the hanging of Afzal Guru. On the contrary, Singh claimed, he had favoured Guru’s hanging at the earliest.