Digvijaya Singh praises RSS, Shah for support during his Narmada Sewa Yatra

Singh said Shah was then busy with the Gujarat election but ensured the former did not face any hardship.

Published on: Oct 1, 2021, 13:29:36 IST

By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has praised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Union home minister Amit Shah for their support during his Narmada Sewa Yatra in 2017.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. (File photo)

“...(During the yatra) we reached Gujarat in the night at about 10 pm. It was a hilly area, with no road ahead, and no facility to stay. Surprisingly, a forest official came to help us. I asked him why he came to help me. He then informed me that Amit Shah had asked him to take care of us,” said Singh at the launch of his book on the yatra on Thursday. “We were provided good food and accommodation to rest. They also provided help for travel to other places.”

Singh said Shah was then busy with the Gujarat election but ensured the former did not face any hardship. “Amit Shah showed how political opponents should behave while discharging their political duties. I had never met Amit Shah in person, but I extended my gratitude.” He added RSS workers would come to ask about his well-being and also provide them food and lodging. “Once in Gujarat, an RSS worker arranged our stay in a Dharmshala. I asked him why you are helping me. He told me that senior leaders of RSS had asked them to ensure that I will not face any hardship.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.