A Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson in Madhya Pradesh has sent a legal notice to Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for saying that schools backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh plant communal hatred in the minds of students, PTI reported on Wednesday.

Singh had reportedly made the comments on Sunday about Saraswati Shishu Mandir, a private network of schools in Bhopal.

“We are fighting against those who sow the seeds of hate against other religions in the hearts and minds of students at the Saraswati Shishu Mandir right from childhood,” Singh had said. “These seeds of hate gradually disturb India’s communal harmony, create communal bitterness and leads to riots.”

Pankaj Chaturvedi, the BJP spokesperson, on Wednesday asked Singh to retract his comments against the schools, according to PTI.

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“Singh should seek an apology from students and teachers of the schools spread across India within seven days failing which I will take legal action against him in a competent court,” Chaturvedi said.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had also served a notice to the Congress leader and Madhya Pradesh’s Director General of Police Vivek Johri on Monday, India Today reported.

The child rights body asked Johri to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report to it within a week, according to the news channel.

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The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said Singh’s remark hurt the sentiments of the students of Saraswati Shishu Mandir. The body said that his comments also violated sections of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Juvenile Justice Act, India Today reported.

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had on Sunday criticised Singh for his comments. “Saraswati Shishu Mandir is the school of patriotism, only a person suffering from hallucinations can point fingers at it,” he had said.