I was the first CM to demand ban on SIMI: Digvijay Singh

Congress general secretary, Digvijay Singh said here today that there was no truth in Madhya Pradesh home minister, Umashankar Gupta's claim that the SIMI network had flourished during his (Singh's) tenure as chief minister of the State.        "If Gupta is saying that the SIMI network grew when I was the chief minister then obviously it means that he does not know what he is talking about," Singh told PTI.        The Congress general secretary said that Gupta should know that he was the first chief minister in the country to demand a ban both on the SIMI and the Bajrang Dal.        Singh said, "If I was asking for a ban on SIMI, how can I be held responsible for its growth in Madhya Pradesh."        Gupta had claimed on Sunday in Mandsaur that the SIMI network had flourished during Singh's tenure as chief minister.