Thaindian News

Bhopal, Feb 2 (IANS) The Congress Tuesday slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh for the performance by a skimpily-clad Russian ballet troupe at a tribal festival organised at the shrine of a Sufi saint by the state tribal welfare ministry in Khandwa district.
The Adivasi Kala Utsav or Malgaon festival is a six-day event organised at Data Sahib Mazar in Khandwa district, held every year.

The Congress demanded action against the organisers, saying a shrine of Sufi saint was used as the venue for nudity.

Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah, who was present at the venue, danced and sang with the ballet dancers of the Christina Ballet Dance Group on the concluding day of the six-day festival Sunday.

Congress spokesperson K.K. Mishra told reporters that his party was also angry that the money meant for the welfare of the tribals had been wasted in such a fashion.

“We want Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to sack Vijay Shah immediately or else we would meet the governor over the issue and apprise him with the entire matter and urge for action against the minister,” Mishra said.

Vijay Shah, however, told mediapersons in Khandwa that there was nothing wrong in the organisation of the show as it was aimed at encouraging the art and entertaining the tribals who had gathered in thousands.

“If we will stop holding cultural programmes, the day is not far off when our tribal culture would totally vanish,” he said.