Digvijaya completes Narmada Parikrama, Kamal Nath 'salutes' him

BHOPAL: AICC general secretary and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh completed his 3,300 km Narmada Padyatra at Barman ghat in Narsinghpur district on Monday. Singh had started the six-month long circumambulation of the holy river on September 30 (Dussehra) with his wife Amrita Rai from the Barman ghat. On the final day of his Padyatra, the Congress leader was joined by former Union minister Kamal Nath, Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, former Union minister Suresh Pachauri and PCC chief Arun Yadav.

"I thank everyone who supported the Narmada Parikrama," Digvijaya said. The concluding function turned-out to be Singh's show of strength with not only state Congress leaders but also several sadhus and sants present on the dais including Dwarka Peeth Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati. Digvijaya Singh has always been a follower of the Dwarka Shankaracharya and on Monday the religious leader supported the Congress leader by firing a salvo at BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Addressing the crowd of Congress workers and Digvijaya Singh's supporters at the concluding function, Swaroopanand Saraswati said, "One chief minister did the Narmada Parikrama in a helicopter. In his regime, the Narmada has dried. Anyone going for a dip in the Narmada today will end-up breaking his bones." Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Narmada Yatra was from December 11, 2016 to May 15, 2017. Digvijaya Singh had announced his Narmada Padyatra touching 110 assembly constituencies of the state after the conclusion of the BJP's Narmada Yatra.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath described Digvijaya Singh's spiritual walk as, "Kathin Tapasya wali Narmada Parikrama (Narmada circumambulation of arduous austerity)". Speaking from the dais, Kamal Nath said, "As I was coming to join Digvijaya Singh's Narmada circumambulation of arduous austerity, my eyes kept searching for the six crore saplings planted by the state government during its Narmada Yatra. I salute Digvijaya Singh for he has not just set an example for the party but indeed, he is our icon and pride."

Speaking to reporters, Digvijaya Singh spoke on the ongoing caste war and protests over Supreme Court's recent order on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Congress leader said, "It is an issue which the Court and the government have to resolve after a lot of reflection and understanding." Regarding projection of a leader by the Congress party before assembly elections in the state, Singh said, "The high-command decides on the face of the party and will do so."

Amrita Rai was asked if she is likely to follow the footsteps of Digvijaya Singh into politics. She said, "I will answer this question when the time is right."