Digvijaya committed 'big sin' by not voting, says PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Bhopal seat in Madhya Pradesh, committed a "big sin" by not casting his vote.

Singh, a registered voter at his hometown Raghogarh in the state's Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat, did not exercise his franchise during the polling held there on Sunday.

The Congress leader, who is pitted against BJP leader and 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur, stayed put in Bhopal, asking people to come out and vote.

"Diggy Raja you have committed a big sin...In the festival of democracy, the President, Vice President stood in queues to cast their votes, but Diggy Raja did not," Modi said at a rally in the state's Ratlam district.

"His (Singh's) arrogance came to light yesterday in Bhopal. When people are electing their representatives and even I exercised my franchise in Ahmedabad, Diggy Raja neither cared for democracy nor people," he said in remarks laced with sarcasm.

"You (Singh) were very busy asking people to vote... save me. Why you are so frightened of losing your job?" the prime minister asked.

Modi said even the Narmada yatra, a religious pilgrimage undertaken by Singh last year, would not come to his rescue in the Lok Sabha elections.