Shimla, June 5 -- Revenue and horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for raising religious slogans during victory celebrations.

Taking exception to the raising of "Jai Shri Ram" slogans in the context of panchayat election victories, Negi, while speaking to the media, said local body elections were contests between candidates and not religious exercises.

"These elections were fought between individuals. Victory should be celebrated in the spirit of democracy and public mandate. Bringing religious slogans into democratic contests is inappropriate and can undermine the democratic character of elections," he said.

Rejecting the BJP's claim that the panchayat elections were a "semi-fina...