Shrines are no place to play politics, says Shivraj

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday took a potshot at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his temple visits during election times, saying, “Shrine are not places to do politics for votes”.

“Rahul Baba should realise that one cannot get votes by moving around sporting ‘tilak’ on one’s forehead during election times. One has to be with people all the time and work for them tirelessly to win their confidence,” the chief minister said while addressing a public meeting at Kurboi in Vidisha district in MP.

Mr Chouhan reminded Mr Gandhi that one’s faith drew one to a temple or a mosque and the shrines were not the places to indulge in cheap politics to get votes.

“I have absolutely no objection if Mr Gandhi visits a temple or a mosque. But, he was seen making temple visits only during election periods. People are aware of his tricks. He should not think people are fool,” Mr Chouhan said.

He dared Congress to give an account of the works done during the party’s 10-year-rule in MP in 1993-2003 and said the state was made a ‘bimaru’ or sick state during the period because of non-performance of the then Digvijay Singh government.

He said the state has made a rapid stride in development of agriculture by expanding irrigation coverage from mere 7 lakh hectare to 70 lakh hectares in the last 15 years.