ALIRAJPUR (MP): Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan , uder fire over the Vyapam scam, has described Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh as a "born conspirator" and alleged that Congressmen always hit below the belt.

"Digvijaya is a born conspirator and Congressmen always hit below the belt," Chouhan said addressing his first public meeting last evening after the Vyapam scam probe was handed over to the CBI, at Bhabhra - the birth place of revolutionary leader Chandra Shekhar Azad.

In an apparent reference to Digvijaya and others who belong to erstwhile princely states, Chouhan said, "They are unable to digest that a farmer's son had become chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and therefore levelling baseless allegations."

Buoyed by the presence of more than expected turnout at the meeting, he popped up a question: "Congress is pressing for my resignation..should I resign...Do you have faith in me?"

However, when the crowd roared in the negative, an enthused Chouhan said, "Now I will expose Congress with the help of people."

Justifying the introduction of examination and admission test system through Vyapam, the CM said that during the Congress rule there was no system in place for conducting recruitment tests. Jobs were offered by sending a slip of paper to the authorities concerned, he alleged.

"We made a system and when we found irregularities in it, we caught those responsible for it and sent them to jail. Despite that Congress is defaming me," he said.

Alirajpur was part of Jhabua district prior to the formation of new Alirajpur district and the presence of large number of people at the rally in Bhabhra assumed significance, as it was organised days after the Vyapam scam was widely in focus at the national and international level following the mysterious death of TV journalist Akshay Singh.

Chouhan was speaking at a meeting organised on the occasion of Azad's birth anniversary. He paid rich tributes to the revolutionary leader at his birth place in Bhabhra town of the district.