Shivraj Singh said the Samajwadi Party has no future

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday attacked Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for his sexist remark against BJP MP Rama Devi in the Lok Sabha, alleging he derives "pleasure" after making "absurd" comments against women.

Speaking to reporters in Gorakhpur, Shivraj Singh Chouhan also criticized SP president Akhilesh Yadav for trying to defend Azam Khan and said, "There is no future of Samajwadi Party."

"It seems that he has some mental illness, as he derives pleasure after making absurd remarks against women. Sometime ago, he made remarks against Rampur BJP candidate Jaya Prada," Mr Chouhan said.

Mr Khan had made an offensive jibe against former SP and current BJP politician Jaya Prada in April during the Lok Sabha election campaign about her wearing "khaki underwear" all the while she had been with SP.

On Thursday, he courted a fresh controversy when he made a sexist remark against Rama Devi, who was in the Chair in the Lok Sabha, sparking an uproar and demands for his apology.

Mr Chouhan also attacked the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh, saying "the Congress will pay for its dirty politics."

"They (Congress party) began the game and we will (BJP) end it. The Congress government is running with the support of BSP and other parties. The BJP had taken a moral decision of not staking claim to form the government in Madhya Pradesh, since Congress got a little more seats than us."

"However now Congress has started dirty politics and they will pay for it," Mr Chouhan said.

The former MP Chief Minister's remarks comes two days after a jolt to the opposition BJP in the state, where two of its MLAs backed the seven-month-old Congress-led government during the voting on a bill in the Assembly on Wednesday.

BJP legislators Narayan Tripathi and Sharad Kol voted in favour of the Criminal Law (Madhya Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2019 when it was put to vote in the Assembly.

Mr Chouhan, who is also the national convener of BJP membership drive, blamed the Congress, SP and BSP for the condition of Uttar Pradesh, and said, "Congress, SP and BSP have done nothing for the people of the state."

Earlier, Mr Chouhan urged party workers to make party members in huge numbers and also thanked people for giving 64 Lok Sabha seats to BJP in the state.

When asked to comment over the rift between the JDU and BJP in Bihar, he said, "The government of JDU and BJP in Bihar is running well and if there are some trivial issues, it will be resolved."

He also visited Gorakhnath temple, and offered prayers.

He paid floral tributes to Gautam Gurung statute at Kundraghat in Gorakhpur. Gautam Gurung had died in the Kargil conflict in 1999.