Rajgarh: An alleged arms training camp held by Bajrang Dal earlier this month in Rajgarh town of Madhya Pradesh has given the Congress Party fresh salvo to attack the state government.

A part of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal had allegedly organised a secret camp in Rajgarh’s Bawara from May 3 to1 1. Members of the organisation were given training in arms and other weapons to apparently ‘protect Hindus’.

Pictures and videos that surfaced on social media suggested that the right-wing organisation gave training in swords, lathis and rifles.

News agency Asian News International (ANI) quoted Bajrang Dal District Convenor Devi Singh Sondhia as saying, “This is a routine camp which we organise annually to tackle anti-national, love jihad elements. This a practice going on since 1984.”

Gopal Soni, who identifies himself on social media as an office bearer of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Madhya Pradesh also shared some videos of an armed training camp by Bajrang Dal being held at Sohagpur in Hoshangabad. The videos were deleted afterwards.

The opposition party, Congress, is seeing red over these reports.

“Has the Madhya Pradesh government given permission for this? Will the DGP or Rajgarh SP provide information about this?” tweeted Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.

His son and Raghogarh MLA Jaivardhan Singh also fumed over the alleged camp.

“It’s a surprise that Bajrang Dal is imparting training to youths to become murderers on the pretext of nationalism. When our army is protecting the nation since independence, then what is the rationale behind such violent camps,” Jaivardhan said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal maintained that anyone could organise a self-defence camp but he could not specify who had given permission for the camp.

Rajesh Tiwari, Bajrang Dal state co-ordinator could not be reached for his comments on the issue.