Launching an attack on fraudsters who commit heinous crimes in saffron robes, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday, 17 September, said “God won’t forgive those defaming the Sanatan Dharma,” news agency ANI reported.
"Today, people are wearing saffron robes and raping; rapes are being committed inside temples, is this our religion?” Singh asked while addressing the congregation of saints, ‘Sant Samagam’, in Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath was also present at the event.
Cong Distances Itself from Digvijaya Singh's Comment
Meanwhile, the Congress on Thursday, 19 September, distanced itself from Singh's remarks, saying a criminal should be penalised on the basis of the crime committed and should not be judged by the clothes worn or the religion followed.
When asked about Singh's remarks, Congress secretary Pranav Jha told PTI, "We heard about the comment. I don't know in what context it was made. But, the party thinks that criminals do not get affected by the robes they don. Criminals are independent of what they wear, what their beliefs are."
"A criminal is a criminal and should be seen by the crime committed and not by the clothes worn or religion one belongs to," he reportedly said.
"Criminals are criminals and they should be seen from that perspective only and it is unnecessary to look anything more into it," Jha added.
Earlier this month, Singh reopened the controversy over his remarks that some BJP members were on ISI payrolls and were involved in espionage against the country, IANS reported.
Singh claimed that the attack on him came in the wake of his comment that BJP's IT cell member Dhruv Saxena and Bajrang Dal member Balram Singh were caught taking money from ISI but the then BJP government neither used National Security Act (NSA) nor opposed their bail, adding that his ideological fight against the BJP will continue.
The cases of corruption against the BJP during its 15-year rule are now being exposed and he was therefore being targeted by the BJP, he had reportedly said.
(With inputs from ANI and IANS)
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