Police personnel at Digvijaya's roadshow 'forced' to sport saffron scarves

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 8 (ANI): Police personnel on duty at the roadshow of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Namdas Tyagi, also known as 'Computer Baba', were seen sporting a saffron scarf along with their uniform.

However, officials claimed they were "forced" to wear the same. 

On being asked why they were wearing saffron scarves, one of the police officers told ANI, "We are here on duty for a road show conducted by Computer Baba. We have been made to wear this."

The woman police officer did not reveal who directed her and the other officials to wear saffron scarves. 

On contrary to this, police claimed that those who were seen in saffron scarves were volunteers, not police personnel.

"We and the organisers of the event had enrolled volunteers for the rally. We will get volunteers in the evening also. We have no say in what volunteers wear. The sub-inspectors who were on duty did not wear any scarves. The volunteers are not police officers. If they are claiming they are police officers it is their call. I am saying it on record that they were not police officers," Bhopal DIG Irshad Wali said while speaking to media here.

"If a legal rally is being held and someone tries to interfere then we have to take action. We will identify all persons and see if BJP workers were involved in the matter,'' he added.

On Tuesday, Singh, who is contesting the ongoing polls from Bhopal, performed a 'havan' in the presence of Computer Baba and other sadhus at a Maha Yagna organised in Bhopal.

Tyagi had said that the Yagna was a form of 'Hath Yoga' to ensure Digvijaya's victory in the Lok Sabha elections. He had also claimed that BJP had "fooled" the community of seers by using Ram Mandir issue as a political tool.

"BJP has fooled not just the public but the community of seers as well. All sadhus who are with me unanimously say that without a Ram Mandir there will not be a Modi government again, we are holding the Yagna to ensure Digvijaya Singh's win," Tyagi had said.

Singh is contesting against BJP's Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the Lok Sabha elections.

Thakur is among the seven accused facing trial in the Malegaon blast case, wherein six people were killed and a dozen others were injured when a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon on September 29, 2008.

Bhopal will go to polls in the sixth phase of parliamentary elections on May 12, and counting of votes is scheduled for May 23. (ANI)