A day after a purported video surfaced on social media, in which Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Kamal Nath could be heard telling party workers to “tear up the clothes of Digvijaya Singh and his son Jaivardhan Singh”, Mr. Nath on Tuesday tried to diffuse the tension as the two leaders shared light banter during the launch of the Congress manifesto in Bhopal.
In the video, Mr. Nath is seen talking to a group of people, reportedly supporters of party leader Virendra Raghuvanshi. The sitting MLA from Kolaras constituency in Shivpuri district had recently joined the Congress from BJP, but could not get a ticket from the Shivpuri Assembly seat he sought. The party has fielded Pichhore MLA K.P. Singh from the Shivpuri seat.
Mr. Nath is heard blaming Mr. Digvijaya for the development. He is heard saying that he had “left the matter” with Mr. Digvijaya and Mr. Jaivardhan and there could be some misunderstanding.
“I myself did not understand why K.P. Singh has to be fielded from Shivpuri. I got Virendra to join the party and now I am embarrassed in front of him. I have called Digvijaya Singh and K.P. Singh to Delhi. I want Virendra [to contest]...” he told the partymen.
“Now, go and tear up the clothes of Digvijaya Singh and Jaivardhan Singh,” Mr. Nath says in the video.
As the clip went viral, BJP leaders alleged factionalism in the State unit of Congress amid ticket distribution.
However, as Mr. Nath and Mr. Digvijaya shared the stage during the launch of Congress’ manifesto in Bhopal, the two tried to downplay the video.
Mr. Nath said that long ago he had given Mr. Digvijaya “a power of attorney to take the criticism on his behalf and it is still valid” even as Mr. Digvijaya, interrupting him, said that “one should know who’s at fault”.
“Relationship between me and Digvijaya Singh is not political but of love and laughter,” said Mr. Nath.
Mr. Digvijaya said, “It is the PCC president who signs on forms A and B [election nomination forms]. So, whose clothes should be torn?” Mr. Nath replied, “Whether there was a mistake or not, you have to take the criticism [for me].”
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the development showed the “real face of the Congress”.
State BJP president and MP V.D. Sharma, at a press conference, said, “Kamal Nath’s statement reveals the Congress criminal character where he is asking workers to tear up their clothes.”
Amid speculations over Congress general secretary in-charge of M.P Randeep Surjewala’s absence from the manifesto launch event, Pankaj Chaturvedi, the BJP spokesperson who had switched over from Congress in 2021, said that Mr. Surjewala skipped the event to “protect his self-respect”.
“Now, I understand why Surjewala ji ran away. So that nobody starts a cloth-tearing competition with him. Both of them [Mr. Nath and Mr. Digvijaya] won’t mend ways,” he wrote in a post on X.
Mr. Surjewala was earlier scheduled to be in Bhopal to attend the manifesto launch.
