Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan attacks Congress leader Digvijay Singh again over 'Osamaji' remark

PANNA: Firing a fresh salvo against senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh for addressing slain Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden as "Osama-ji", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said he should realise the difference between a patriot and a terrorist.

"Those who have remarked against martyred police official Mahesh Chandra Sharma and termed dreaded terrorist Osama Bin Laden as Osamaji should think on their own that who is a patriot and who is a terrorist," the chief minister said.

He was talking to reporters here during his ongoing 'Janashirwad Yatra'.

Chouhan had last week, in an apparent reference to Singh's calling Osama bin Laden as "Osama-ji" years ago asked if adding the honorific `Ji' for a terrorist was not an anti-national act.

After Chouhan calling his actions and statements anti-national, Singh had said that he would appear before the police and they could arrest him.

To this, Chouhan said today that Singh was free to do so.

"We have not asked him to do so."

Continuing his tirade against the Congress leader, Chouhan said, "Singh talks of getting arrested, but he does not know that he should not say anything against patriots."

Terming some Congress leaders as "Raja" and "Maharaja" (kings), Chouhan, without taking names, said they are capable of making any comment against the common man.

"I belong to a simple family of farmers and am also the Chief Minister. But they have always commented against me and my family. I don't have any problem with it. The people of the state are watching them," he said.

Those who are linking 'saffron' with terrorism should realise that it (saffron) is our ancient culture and nobody should comment on it, the Chief Minister said.

Chouhan also alleged that Singh had ruined the state during his 10-year rule as Chief Minister.

On the contrary, his BJP government, he said, has developed the state and was making it prosperous.

Chouhan said a diamond park will be developed in Panna, which will also be included under the 'mini-smart city' project.

Meanwhile, Digvijay Singh along with his supporters headed to the TT Nagar police station in the state capital Bhopal for appearing before the security personnel over his actions and statements being dubbed as anti-national.

State Congress president Kamal Nath handed over the party's flag to Singh before he embarked on the foot march to the police station.