Indore: Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday came out in defence of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya's saying that the latter’s "setting Indore on fire" remark was misconstrued.
“He (Vijayvargiya) actually meant ‘setting off a fire of protests’ against Congress government in the state,” Chouhan told reporters.
“There is no question of engaging in arson. It was regarding protest. He (Vijayvargiya) had talked about protests. I am also saying that we will launch a fire of agitations,” the BJP vice president said.
“Our leaders and activists will pour onto the streets if the Congress government does not heed to concerns of public,” he warned.
On his party colleague's possible arrest, Chouhan said, Vijayvargiya is holding a big office of general secretary. “In case, the state government tries to muzzle the voice of a BJP activist, we will spill onto the streets."
Vijayvargiya was booked by the city police as he threatened government officials of setting Indore of fire during a protest at Residency last Friday.
"Our Sangh (RSS) leaders are here, otherwise I would have set Indore on fire today," he had said.
After pre-intimation, Vijayvargiya had gone to meet divisional commissioner Akash Tripathi and other top officers at Residency to express his discontent over demolition drive against BJP workers. But known of officers showed up for the meeting due to which he got annoyed.
Chouhan sought to know why can't bureaucrats spare time to listen to pre-people issues raised by a senior leader like Vijayvargiya.
On the state government's crackdown on the land mafia under which illegal buildings are being razed, Chouhan said If the CM wants to act against mafia, he should take cudgels against sand, liquor, transport and transfer mafias.
“We (BJP) wont tolerate suppression of common people in the name of anti-mafia operations,” he added.