Why Sangh Parivar, not Congress may cost Chouhan the MP poll

Bouts of schizophrenia are embarrassing the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. As Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is assiduously cultivating a moderate image during the run up to the elections, hawks are busy polarising the Hindu votes by triggering communal flare-ups. His adversaries in the saffron fold are posing a bigger challenge than the resurgent Congress. Earlier in February hate-mongers ruined peace during Basant Panchami, the Indian equivalent of Valentine’s Day. Communal elements almost succeeded in brewing another Ayodhya in Dhar. The town is known for a mosque and temple co-existing side-by side. [caption id=“attachment_1164375” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.[/caption] A former minister and BJP legislator of Harda, Kamal Patel has been accused of sparking off communal violence through his son and other henchmen in Chhipabarh village of Khirkiya taluka in the district. The flare up of 19 September that left several houses burnt in a pre-meditated attack on a locality of Muslim settlers displaced from Narmada dam site was the second of three riots that shook western Madhya Pradesh in five weeks. Besides leaving the social fabric tattered, these riots have deflated the government’s claims of maintaining communal harmony in the state. The modus operandi in triggering off violence has been strikingly similar in all three cases. As Indore was celebrating Raksha Bandhan on 20 August, a skinned carcass of a cow was found near a gutter close to Ambar Nagar in Indore. In quick time leaders of some Hindu organizations started protesting in Chandan Nagar that has a sizeable Muslim presence. They tore off posters of Eid greetings. Stones and empty bottles greeted the police when they reached the spot. They had to resort to firing to bring the situation under control. Forty-five people including 25 policemen were injured. Incidentally the constituency MLA, Malini Gaur, is among those who might not be nominated by the party for the elections. There is no evidence of her involvement in the flare up though. The next stop was Harda represented by Kamal Patel. Patel was forced to quit the ministry over a year ago over charges of shielding a murder accused. More than 30 houses and shops were set afire by a mob led by activists of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad after a dead calf was found near the farm of a Muslim farmer. The post-mortem report revealed that the calf died after eating polythene packets. Eye witnesses said 2,000 armed people mouthing communal slogans stormed the settlement of more than 50 families and unleashed terror. The policemen were outnumbered by the goons. The mob fled the spot after the gunmen of Superintendent of Police Dipak Verma and Collector Rajnish Shrivastava fired in the air. The mob had also ransacked a mosque at Chhipabad. The sudden convergence of such large crowd points to planned conspiracy. Social activist Anurag Modi, has filed a petition under public interest litigation at the Jabalpur High Court. His petition claims the main accused Surendra Rajput alias Tiger was seen with Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders and Kamal Patel’s son Sudeep Patel. He was apprehended while rioting, but let off on political intervention. A seven-member team of independent observers that visited the affected areas said the Muslim psyche has been considerably affected and has recommended investigation into the role of Tiger and Sudeep in the riots. The team observed that the riots forced many children to abandon schools. On October 1, a mob of activists attacked the shops of Muslims at Manasa tehsil of Neemuch district. Four shops and the dargah of Khajuria Peer at Purbia Mohalla were damaged by the mob after an idol was found broken in a temple at a private farm. The mob armed with sticks, iron rods and sharp weapons marauded localities largely inhabited by Muslims. Saner counsel, however, prevailed as some Hindu elders intervened and persuaded the leaders of mob to see reason. Neemuch Police suspect Zila Panchayat vice president Madhav Maru to be behind the violence. He has fallen out with the BJP but maintains strong links with Bajrang Dal and other outfits of the Sangh Parivar. Madhav contested 2008 assembly elections as Independent and lost by 4,500 votes to the Congress candidate. The BJP candidate Kailash Chawla was pushed to third position. Madhav claims some BJP leaders have forced the police to implicate him as he intends to contest the elections again.