Congress workers demand resignation of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan

Congress workers staged a protest here on Monday demanding the resignation of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan after his ministers' name were listed in a mining baron's diaries, containing details of alleged bribes being paid to them.

"It is a big scam. That is why they didn't allow assembly to function because such issues were being raised in the assembly. We will encircle the chief minister's residence to demand his resignation and also the ministers," Congress leader P. C. Sharma said.

However, police blocked protesters from advancing ahead, leading to a scuffle.

During a raid on two influential Bhopal-based businessmen Sudhir Sharma and Dilip Suryawanshi, the income tax department had recovered diaries, which had entries claiming that the two ministers Rajendra Shukla and Laxmikant Sharma were getting huge pay offs.

The case is now being probed by CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

Madhya Pradesh is due for polls in November and the Congress has been trying to come back to power in the state since 2003.