Congress MP stokes controversy alleging that BJP, RSS 'were training people to make bombs'

In a statement that has now become a hot topic of discussion, a cabinet minister in Madhya Pradesh has accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of training people to make bombs in the state.

Govind Singh made the statement in response to the BJP questioning the law and order situation in the state in light of the two recent murders in Madhya Pradesh. He said that the RSS and BJP were responsible for the crime taking place in the state as the party itself had been encouraging people to commit such crimes in the last 15 years.

"The BJP-RSS trained people in making bombs and grenades in last 15 years and these criminals are fighting each other now," News18 quoted Singh as saying. "BJP ne jo beej bokar pedh khade kiye hain, hum unne ukhar dalenge (The BJP grew poisonous trees, and now we will uproot them)."

In response, the BJP lashed out at Singh and said that the comment proved Congress' "mental bankruptcy."

"CM Kamal Nath ji's minister Dr Govind Singh's comment that the RSS gives training to make weapons, hand grenades, is ridiculous and symbolises ignorance," tweeted former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"To talk about a nationalist organisation - that has been working for the character building of the nation for the last 94 years- in this manner, displays the Congress's mental bankruptcy."

Two murders in a week

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has been on the receiving end after the state was rattled by two murders last week. On Thursday, January 17, Prahlad Bandhwar, BJP leader and civic body chairman of Mandsaur, was shot in full public view. Soon after, Sandeep Agarwal, 45, a builder and local businessman in Indore was killed in a busy marketplace.

Chouhan had then condemned these killings and said that the criminals had "suddenly become bold" since Congress came to power in the state.

While the buzz around these killings have not even died down, January 20 saw the murder of Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Manoj Thackeray, whose body was found in an open field in Barwani, reported NDTV.

The former CM once again took to Twitter and slammed the Kamal Nath government for taking these murders lightly and not investigating them as required.

"One after the other, the killing of BJP leaders is a serious matter. The state government is not taking it seriously and making a cruel joke of it. Popular BJP leader Manoj Thackeray was killed in broad daylight in the state home minister's backyard," he wrote.