'Anti-national': Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Rahul Gandhi's 'panuati' remarks against PM

Jaipur: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of being "anti-national" for referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "panauti" and said the people of the country will not forgive this.

At a rally in poll-bound Rajasthan on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "PM means Panauti Modi", insinuating the prime minister's presence at the Ahmedabad stadium during the India-Australia Cricket World Cup final brought bad luck to the home side, which lost the decider.

Speaking at a press conference here, Chouhan said, "The entire country was full of patriotic passion and wanted India to win the cricket (World Cup) final because sport is also a symbol of patriotism."

"If Prime Minister Modi goes there, then it is a matter of pride for us. But the people of Congress are so afraid of Prime Minister Modi and have so much hatred for him that they celebrate when India loses a match," he charged.

"I believe that this act (of Rahul Gandhi) is anti-national," he said, adding there is no bigger example of "mindlessness" than this and people of the country will not forgive this.

Chouhan said when the country got independence, Mahatma Gandhi had said that the Congress should be abolished but former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not agree.

"Now, Rahul Gandhi is moving towards fulfilling what Mahatma Gandhi said," he said.

The BJP leader dubbed Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra a "machine of lies".

Citing central government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, Chouhan said Modi has changed the lives of crores of people.

He also targeted the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government over a range of issues, including law and order, and blamed its policy of "appeasement" for the killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal.

"Appeasement has been the basic mantra of the Congress government in Rajasthan. These people banned processions of Hindu festivals and even imposed Section 144 (of the CrPC). Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded in Udaipur and the reason for this is the Congress government's policy of appeasement," he said.

Lal was hacked to death last year at his shop in the busy Hathipole area of Udaipur by two cleaver-wielding men for allegedly supporting a social media post against Islam, an incident that sent shockwaves across the country.

Chouhan claimed land of over 19,000 farmers was auctioned during the tenure of the Gehlot government.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan will be held on November 25 and the votes will be counted on December 3.