BJP leader's 'spit' remark has insulted people of Chhattisgarh: CM Baghel

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said the BJP had insulted people of the state after one of its leaders made a swept away by spit remark.The BJPs Chhattisgarh in charge D Purandeswari had, while addressing its chintan shivir in Jadgalpur on Thursday, said that if her partys workers spit, then Baghel and his cabinet would be swept away.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said the BJP had insulted people of the state after one of its leaders made a ''swept away by spit'' remark.

The BJP's Chhattisgarh in-charge D Purandeswari had, while addressing its 'chintan shivir' in Jadgalpur on Thursday, said that if her party's workers spit, then Baghel and his cabinet would be swept away. Addressing a press conference along with nine cabinet colleagues on Saturday, Baghel demanded an apology from the BJP.

''During the BJP's three-day chintan shivir, issues like tribal welfare, education, employment, health and Naxalism weren't points of discussion. Their issues were religious conversion and the Chhattisgarh government. They were concerned about how to attract other backward classes. It wants to return to power by hook or by crook,'' the CM said.

''Chhattisgarh is the land of Mata Kaushalya and Shabri (characters of epic Ramayana) where women have always been respected. So I will not say anything about Purandeswari ji. She had said if her party workers spit, the CM and his cabinet will be swept away. I am a farmer first and our cabinet represents farmers and people of the state,'' he said.

By talking about spitting on the CM and cabinet, the BJP was showing hatred towards people and farmers of the state, and the Congress would protest in a democratic manner for an apology, Baghel claimed.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar said Purandeswari wanted to say something like ''phoonk marna''.

The Baghel government was trying to divert people's attention as more than 500 farmers have committed suicide under the Congress regime, Chandrakar alleged.