Citing the absence of the CM and state Congress president Vinay Kumar from the unveiling of Virbhadra Singh's statue at Sarahan, his birthplace, on Sunday, BJP state president Rajeev Bindal had claimed that the Congress was a divided house.

Interacting with the media, the Chief Minister said Virbhadra Singh was a tall Congress leader and it was inappropriate to link an event organised at his birthplace with factionalism.

"I was invited to the unveiling ceremony. It is inappropriate to link an event organised in Virbhadra Singh's honour with political factionalism," the CM said.

Vikramaditya Singh termed the BJP's claim petty and baseless.

"It was a district-level programme and we had invited everyone to the ceremony. All those who could make it attended, while many others could not come for various reasons. There is no need to read between the lines," he said.

The PWD Minister said the party's top leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, had attended the unveiling of Virbhadra Singh's statue in Shimla.

"There couldn't be a bigger moment of pride for us," he said.

Meanwhile, taking a swipe at the BJP, the CM said the party itself was divided into several factions.

When asked about the possible return of MLAs who had left the Congress and joined the BJP, the Chief Minister categorically said the Congress did not want to take them back.

"And if someone else also has any interest in joining the BJP, they are free to do so," the CM said.