The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Sunday claimed to have “freed” its MLA Bisahulal Singh who has been missing for five days, from the “clutches” of the BJP in Bengaluru. Mr Singh is among four legislators who went incommunicado recently.
The return of the Anuppur MLA, whose son had filed a ‘missing person’ complaint in Bhopal on Wednesday, comes a day after the return of Surendra Singh Shera, independent from MLA Burhanpur, who had also gone missing. Mr Shera however, denied that he was abducted and restated his support for the government.
Stating Minister Surendra Singh Baghel had escorted Mr. Singh back from Bengaluru, State Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja claimed, “For the past three days, Mr. Singh was in the clutches of the BJP in Bengaluru.”
Mr. Saluja quoted the besieged leader, four-time MLA and former Minister, as saying that he had been with the Congress and will remain with it, and his “full support” remained with Mr. Nath.
Also read: ‘Missing’ Independent MLA Surendra Singh Shera returns to Bhopal, denies he was abducted
On Wednesday morning, the Congress claimed it “rescued” six MLAs held hostage at a hotel in Haryana by the BJP, which was conspiring to poach them in a bid to destabilise the Congress-led government. The State government is supported by four independents, two BSP and one SP MLA. Legislators Hardeep Singh Dang, whose alleged resignation letter surfaced recently, and Raghuraj Singh Kansana are still believed to be in Bengaluru.
Refuting the charge that the BJP had held Mr. Singh hostage, State BJP president V.D. Sharma told The Hindu, “It’s clear from statements of other MLAs who returned they were not kidnapped or lured by anyone to cross over. They’ve even made it clear they departed and returned of their own accord.”
As reported earlier, four of the six MLAs who were “rescued”, including two BSP, one SP and a Congress lawmaker, rubbished claims of Congress Ministers of being offered bribes to cross over or having been held hostage.
Also read: ‘Rescued’ M.P. MLAs deny BJP coercion
Mr. Sharma distanced the BJP from the developments and pointed out it was a result of infighting within the Congress instead. “They are fighting among themselves. We have nothing to do with this,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur said “ache din” (good days) were afar from Madhya Pradesh, and would find their way there soon. “The foundation of the Congress is weak. If the foundation of a building is weak, it will fall on its own. Wherever dharma has been attacked, ache din have come there.”
Earlier, Congress MP and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, first to flag the purported poaching bid, while maintaining the government was stable, had said Bisahulal Singh had informed him he was being taken by the BJP against his will. “Still, he told me he was with us.”
