Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's dig at his former party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia has triggered a war of words, with leaders from the ruling BJP calling the grand old party's Rajya Sabha member a "blot" on the country and wishing that he is born in Pakistan in his next life.

Digvijaya Singh on Friday visited Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh, where the famous Mahakaleshwar temple is located. Responding to a query about what he would seek from the deity, Singh had told reporters, "Hey Mahakal, a second Jyotiraditya Scindia should not be born in the Congress." Scindia, who was once considered to be a close aide of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, had quit the grand old party in March 2020, ending his nearly two-decade-long association with the organisation. He then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was made a Union minister.

Following Singh's swipe at him, Scindia had on Friday tweeted that Lord Mahakal should ensure an "anti-national" like Singh, who also greatly harmed Madhya Pradesh, is not born in India.

When asked about the Congress veteran's remark against Scindia, BJP leader and Minister for Panchayat Mahendra Singh Sisodia said, "I pray to Lord Mahakal that a person like Digvijaya Singh, who ruined the entire Congress and Madhya Pradesh, should be born in Pakistan in his next life." Minister for Medical Education Vishvas Sarang, who also belongs to the BJP, reacted sharply to Singh's remarks as he termed him a "Pro-Pakistan" leader and accused him of insulting the country's army and soldiers.

"Leaders like Digvijaya Singh are a blot on this country. Jyotiraditya ji has rightly tweeted. Such people who speak pro-Pakistan language, talk about giving protection to terrorists and dividing this country, such people have no place in India," Sarang said.

The Congress government under Kamal Nath in the state, which came to power in December 2018 after 15 years of the BJP rule, collapsed in March 2020 after 22 MLAs loyal to Scindia joined the saffron party following his rebellion in the grand old party.

Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.

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