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Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Saturday said the proposed rally of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Bhopal in October has been cancelled, a move which Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed was due to the 'public anger' over remarks made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders against Sanatan Dharma.
Earlier this week, the INDIA, which includes the Congress and more than 25 other parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party, had said it would hold a rally in Bhopal.
"It is not going to happen. It has been cancelled," Nath told reporters on Saturday when asked about the rally.
In reply to a question, All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala also said the party chief has yet not taken a decision about INDIA bloc rally in Bhopal.
"We will confirm once a decision is taken," Surjewala added.
After the meeting earlier this week at the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, the opposition alliance had decided to hold their first joint rally in Bhopal in the first week of October.
After the meeting at Pawar's residence, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal had said the rally would focus on rising prices, unemployment and corruption under the BJP government.
Reacting to Nath's statement about the cancellation of the INDIA bloc rally, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh linked it to 'anger of the public' at the remarks against Sanatan Dharma.
"This is the anger of the public. You will call Sanatan Dharma as dengue and malaria. The people of Madhya Pradesh will not tolerate any insult to Sanatan Dharma," he said, adding the opposition bloc should realise these comments have attacked 'our faith'.
"There is anger and sorrow among the people of Madhya Pradesh (over the anti-Sanatan Dharma remarks). They (opposition) were afraid the people might express their anger, and, hence, they cancelled the rally of INDIA bloc," Chouhan claimed.
Recently, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin and A Raja had claimed Sanatan Dharma had sown divisions in society and must be eradicated on the lines of diseases like dengue, malaria and coronavirus.