New Delhi: Asserting that Congress was "thirsty for his blood", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday slammed the opposition party for allegedly pelting stones at his vehicle and asked if its top leaders approved of such acts by its workers.
While addressing the media, Chouhan said, "Congress mere khoon ki pyaasi ho gai hai. Madhya Pradesh ki rajneeti mein yeh kabhi nahi hua hai. Vicharon ka sangharsh chalta tha, alag alag partiyan apne apne karyakaam karti thi, lekin kabhi yeh nahi hua (Congress is thirsty for my blood. This has never happened before in Madhya Pradesh. There may be differences in opinion and political parties would be concerned with their own work)."
He added, "I want to ask Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress state president Kamal Nath, in which direction do they wish to take the party? Is it fine what their leaders and workers are doing?"
Chouhan's remarks a day after the police arrested nine persons, allegedly Congress leaders, for throwing stones at his vehicle during the Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Churhat area on Sunday. The area is the assembly constituency of Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh. The CM was touring the state, ahead of assembly polls, when the incident took place. He escaped unhurt.
State Home Minister Bhupendra Singh also condemned the incident, calling it "shameful and unfortunate". "Police have arrested nine persons this morning. They are all prominent Congress leaders. The incident is shameful and unfortunate. It also proves that Congress can stoop to any low to come to power," he said.
Following the incident yesterday, Chouhan later dared Ajay to come in the open and fight with him. "Ajay Singh, if you have strength come in open and fight with me. I am physically weak but I won't be bogged down by your deeds. People of the state are with me," he said. However, in a press release, Singh denied the role of any Congress worker in the incident.