Dignity raised but royal won’t understand: CM

Shimla: Irked by state Congress president Pratibha Singh’s statement that his street publicity of the Prime Minister’s rally had lowered the dignity of his office, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur taunted her on Monday by saying that people were supreme in a democracy and there was no shame in visiting them but a royal won’t understand.
Thakur claimed that he was a party worker first and then a CM.Going door to door with invites to Narendra Modi’s May 31 Ridge Maidan rally, he had also stopped by Pratibha Singh’s Holly Lodge residence. Her observation on it left the BJP leadership fuming and it now accuses her of having a “feudal mindset”. Thakur said that his relationship with the general public will always remain informal.
He said: “As far as dignity is concerned, it is good to meet the general public. I am not the only senior BJP member roaming the streets to invite general public to the PM’s event. Pratibha Singh met me at the main gate of her residence, so I invited her, too, just like I had invited all other Congress MLAs and MPs.”
The CM said: “It doesn’t lower the dignity of my office to go to the public. Rather I feel fortunate.” Referring to Pratibha, he said: “I want to ask her if a CM can’t go to the house of the general public? She might think differently, as she comes from a different environment, while I come from a common family and will stay informal lifelong.”
BJP’s state affairs in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna said: “Pratibha Singh tends to still act like a queen.”