MP recruitment scam: Digvijaya Singh appears in Bhopal court

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh appeared before Bhopal court on Saturday in connection with Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha secretariat recruitment scam.Singh slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for filing a case against him claiming there was is no charge of corruption against him.

"BJP wakes up after 20 years to file a case against me where there is no charge of corruption. Bound to happen after I took up VYAPAM scam. Makes my resolve stronger to fight these forces of Fascism," Singh said in a series of tweets.

Asserting that the Congress had given a loan to a "non profit company" National Herald which spearheaded the freedom movement which was founded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, he added that the BJP had given money from its party funds to a 'for profit' company, Shree Multimedia Vision Ltd (SMVL) to publish a newspaper.

"Mr Subramaniam Swamy relentless fighter against corruption, are you aware of this fact? Are you going to file PIL against BJP? How does the name of "Purti" crop up in all shady deals of BJP ? Is it the official Company of the BJP for Money Laundering ? It has been fairly effective for Nitin Gadkari at least !," Singh tweeted.

Hitting out at the Centre, he further said that Vinod Tawde, the chairman of the multi media vision a 'for profit company', still continues to be the director as a minister in Maharashtra.

"He has violated the Code of Conduct for Ministers as prescribed by Ministry of Home Govt of India. Shouldn't be resign ? He won't, as announced by Rajnath ji the Home Minister "BJP leaders don't resign." It is a Party with Difference much above Public Scrutiny," Singh added.

Earlier, the senior Congress leader announced that he would surrender before the court on Saturday and the state police can arrest him if they want to.

"The Madhya Pradesh police can arrest me if they want. I will surrender before the court tomorrow. I was about to go to Delhi but I have cancelled that also and now I will go to Bhopal," Singh said.

"This is a 22-year-old scam and it is inevitable that the state government, who is already worried about the Vyapam scam, will target me. In those appointments there was an order by the Cabinet and not alone of mine," he added.

An arrest warrant was issued against the Congress leader after he failed to appear in court for the hearing.Singh is accused to have a connection in the alleged recruitment scam at the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Secretariat in Bhopal between 1993 and 2003 during his tenure as chief minister.

In February last year, the Jahangirabad police had registered a case against Singh, former Speaker Sriniwas Tiwari and others for alleged forgery, conspiracy, cheating, and misuse of office as well as offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act following a complaint filed by the Assembly Secretariat about irregularities in recruitment between 1993 and 2003.