Digvijay accepts BJP demand, suspends SP

He had already transferred the SP and suspended 11 policemen in connection with the month-old incident on Monday, the first day of the session, itself. Two days later when things got hotter, Khandwa collector was also transferred. But when the BJP insisted on the SP8217;s head, the answer was an unwavering,8220;No!8221;

It was not the elation in the BJP camp at their first taste of blood since the drubbing in last Assembly elections that worries Singh. As he hinted in the House itself, by ordering the SP8217;s suspension he was not buckling down but honouring thehighest traditions of parliamentary democracy.

The cause of his concern is a nagging feeling that some of his fellow Congress leaders have a hand in his discomfiture.

For the privileges committee which fully endorsed the BJP8217;s demand was packed by Congressman and headed by a member of his previous government. And it wasted no time calling for evidence or summoning the accused SP before recommending his suspension.

8220;We knew that his own MLAs will force him to give in,8221; claims Dr Gauri Shankar Shejwar, leader of opposition. He was all set to submit a strongly worded protest to Madhya Pradesh Governor, when the House convened today and Speaker Sriniwas Tiwari announced the panel8217;s decision.

The murmurs against Singh had started immediately after the Lok Sabha elections when leaders like Motilal Vora, V C Shukla and even his friend Kamal Nath started saying that all was not well with Singh8217;s election management.

As if picking up the cue, others openly questioned the CM at the Congress legislatureparty8217;s meeting before the session. Former Chief Minister Subhash Yadav led the assault. 8220;We must take lessons from what happened to Laloo Yadav,8221; he said.

Others like Rajmani Patel and Kalpana Parulekar followed up with equal vehmence. They said some of the Singh government8217;s recent moves like hike in power tariff and imposition of professional tax had adversely affected election results.

While Parulekar lambasted Singh8217;s much touted 8220;women8217;s policy8221; regarding closure of liquor shops, Vidhan Mishra bluntly said that denying the Lok Sabha ticket to V C Shukla had cost party some seats in Chattisgarh.

Shukla had started attacking Singh and hobnobbing with Kamal Nath even before election results came out. And now, after the verdict Subhash Yadav has come out in the open.