Digvijay Singh defends Arunachal MP accused of abusing Ramdev

NEW DELHI - Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Wednesday defended Ninong Ering, the Congress lawmaker from Arunachal Pradesh, who has been accused of having used abusive language against renowned yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

Singh said he had met the Ninong Ering and discussed the issue with him.

“I met Ninong Ering, lawmaker from Arunachal Pradesh, and he told me that during a yoga session, he began giving a political speech against Sonia Gandhi, President of the Congress Party, and the party as well. So that’s when he objected to, and said, ‘we are all from different political parties, why are you giving this a political platform?” Singh told reporters after the Parliamentary session here.

“Ering never used the words, ‘You bloody Indian’; there is no doubt about that. Arunachal Pradesh is a very important part of the country. Ering is a lawmaker of the Indian Parliament and could not say such things,” he added.

Responding to a question on targeting Congress party by Ramdev, Singh said: “Baba Ramdev should certify the money whether it is black money or something else which he gets through alms and gifts.”

Ninong Ering told ANI in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that he had only told Baba Ramdev not to use a socio-religious platform to preach politics, which resulted in a heated confrontation between the two.

Ering strongly denied that he had used profanities like ‘bloody Indian’ and ‘dog’ against Baba Ramdev.

The lawmaker, who belongs to a political family and has an experience of 25 years in public life, said the confrontation with Baba Ramdev took place at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh on February 19 during a yoga camp.

“I have told and written in my letter to the Congress party that if it is proved that I have said ‘bloody Indian’ or ‘dog’ to Baba Ramdev, then I will resign on the same day,” Ering told ANI when asked what was his explanation to Congress General Secretary in-charge for Arunachal Pradesh, V. Narayansamy.

The Congress MP said that he felt hurt over an incident that has been blown out of proportion, and added it has caused huge embarrassment to the people of the country for all the wrong reasons that came out in media.

Ering claimed that even his parliament colleagues in the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party would vouch for him that he would not use such foul language against the Baba.

“I am a true Indian and the only MP from North East region who always speaks in Hindi in Parliament. And, whenever I travel inside the country, I make it a point to speak to people in our national language,” he said.

He further added that whenever he travels out of the country, he makes it a point to clarify that the people of Arunachal Pradesh are true Indians and that the Chinese are just making nuisance of themselves by creating unnecessary controversy over the border issue.

Following and practicing Baba Ramdev’s yoga for the last four years, Ering said that wanted the Baba not to use his yoga classes to target politicians.

He further said that during the camp in Pasighat, the Baba had questioned giving Bharat Ratna, highest civilian honour in India, to late premier Rajiv Gandhi and demanded the honour for himself.

This enraged Ering as Ramdev was trying to make fun of his idol and leader. (ANI)