Rahul Gandhi is trying to demoralise the Army, Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters (File)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was "disrespecting and demoralising" the Army with his comments over the Indo-China border conflict at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
He also accused Mr Gandhi of indulging in "dirty politics" at the time of the stand-off between the two countries.
Hitting out, former chief minister and Congress veteran Kamal Nath said that Mr Chouhan should have the courage to accept "failure" of the Central leadership in handling the entire issue.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) is disrespecting the Army, demoralising it. The way he is commenting, I feel ashamed and it is also very painful. He is a citizen of India. He is trying to demoralise the Army," Mr Chouhan told reporters.
He was asked about some comments of Mr Gandhi on the violent clash in the Galwan Valley last week in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
The entire country stands in unity whenever there is tension on the borders, Mr Chouhan said at the state BJP office after taking part in a programme to pay tribute to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary.
"Whenever such a situation occurred in the country in the past, the BJP always stood with the government. But to what level the former chief of the party (Congress) has fallen. In such a situation also, he is doing dirty politics," the chief minister alleged.
He should have attacked China, but he is unable to see anyone else other than (Prime Minister) Modiji. What can we say to such a leader," Mr Chouhan said.
The country will not tolerate disrespect of our forces, Mr Chouhan further said.
"On one hand, our soldiers are making supreme sacrifices. Because of them the head of Bharat Mata is held high. But I feel ashamed saying this that a national party which ruled the country for many years and a leader who was its president, despite that Rahul Gandhi is discouraging them," the CM said.
Meanwhile, Mr Nath said Mr Gandhi, as a responsible leader of Opposition, was only requesting the PM to tell truth to the nation.
"Entire country knows that the Congress party has been warning the Centre about a Chinese intrusion in our territory but the government remained negligent and kept issuing misleading statements," he said.
While the prime minister is saying in the all-party meeting that no Chinese intrusion had taken place, the statements of ministers of defence and external affairs were contrary to what Modi had said, the former CM said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)