Ujjain/Bhopal: BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Monday accused chief minister Kamal Nath of trying to “divide tribals”, triggering a stinging retort from Congress, which said people of Ujjain have already given him their answer by boycotting his rally.

Leading a march to demand a “clear passage” for pilgrims to Mahakaal temple. He claimed Nath won’t be able to continue in office if he tries to stop 2021 census enumerators from marking tribals as Hindus.

Claiming that CM Kamal Nath had warned of action against officials “if any of them allowed tribals to call themselves Hindus in the Census”, Vijayvargiya said: “Kamal Nathji’s statement will create a new problem in Madhya Pradesh and the country. This is a dangerous, poisonous statement. Kamal Nathji is trying to trying to divide society. Till now attempts were made to create divisions between Hindus and Muslims. Now it is tribals, and that too for votebank politics.”

Tribals have been a part of Hindu community since the age of Lord Rama, he insisted. “Kamal Nath ji, if you try to take action against officials, you will not be able to remain chief minister. Census is carried out by the central government not state,” he said.

The state Congress hit back hard, with PCC spokesman and chief minister’s media convener Narendra Saluja saying, “Kailash Vijayvargiya, who had threatened to set Indore on fire, went to Ujjain temple on Monday and tried to disturb peace and amity there.”

“People of Ujjain gave a befitting reply to Vijayvargiya by boycotting his public meeting. Despite false claims by BJP leaders, including former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP state president Rakesh Singh, people kept away from BJP’s protest,” Saluja said.

“Vijayvargiya has challenged Kamal Nath once again, forgetting that during the state government’s campaign against mafia, he had thrown a similar challenge. He knows what happened after that. Fearing defeat, Vijayvargiya ran away from Mhow and did not contest the assembly elections. Instead, he helped his son Akash Vijayvargiya win from Indore-3, the only seat BJP could win in the entire Indore division,” Saluja added.

Vijayvargiya led the rally to ask the district administration to clear a road in Begam Bag area of anti-CAA protesters as it leads to Mahakaal temple. Vijayvargiya claimed the protest was blocking pilgrims from visiting the temple. “If the road is not cleared before Maha Shivratri (February 21), BJP will stage 101 protests,” he said.