Simultaneous poll bills unlikely to be passed in Parliament, says Digvijaya Singh
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh has expressed skepticism about the likelihood of the ‘one nation, one election’ (ONOE) bills being passed in Parliament.
Speaking to reporters in Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district on Saturday night, Singh also dismissed allegations against Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of “pushing and shoving” BJP MPs on Parliament premises last Thursday.
The two ONOE bills, one requiring a constitutional amendment to facilitate simultaneous elections, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday following intense debate. On Friday, the Lok Sabha referred the bills to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for review.
When asked about the bills, Singh remarked, “The JPC has been constituted, and I don’t believe these bills will be passed.”
On Thursday, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi at the Parliament Street police station based on a BJP complaint alleging physical assault and incitement after BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput were injured.
The Congress firmly denied the allegations, claiming BJP MPs had pushed Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and “manhandled” Gandhi.
Addressing the accusations, Singh called them baseless. “This is completely false. The scuffle occurred between BJP leaders,” said the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister.
“A BJP MP fell on another and got injured. The injured MP claimed Rahul Gandhi was standing in front of him. If he was in front, how could he have pushed him?” Singh asked.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat recently voiced concern over rising temple-mosque disputes, suggesting some individuals seek to gain Hindu leadership by exploiting such issues after the Ayodhya Ram temple’s construction.
When asked about Bhagwat’s remarks, Singh commented, “If we are discussing people leveraging Hindu-Muslim issues for leadership, the prime example is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Why doesn’t Bhagwat advise him?”
Singh added that while Bhagwat’s statements were positive, he should act to curb Sangh-affiliated groups.
“Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal are Sangh’s organizations. Why doesn’t he stop them?” the Congress leader questioned.
