Congress demands 'strict action' against Jabalpur Collector over firing case

BHOPAL: Congress in Madhya Pradesh today demanded strict action against the Jabalpur District Collector and some other senior officials in connection with a firing incident in which five party activists were injured. Party legislator and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Satyadev Katare also sought dismissal of the Raisen District Collector for "failure" to discharge his duty in a fair manner.

"The Jabalpur Collector, SP and IG should be removed from their posts as they failed to prevent last evening's firing on Congress workers in the Jabalpur Lok Sabha constituency," he told reporters here.

Five Congressmen were injured when the son of local BJP MLA Pratibha Singh opened fire at his rivals while campaigning at Mankhedi village under the Jabalpur Lok Sabha seat following a dispute. Katare sought sacking of the Raisen Collector, saying free and fair polling is not possible in Vidisha constituency, which party falls under the district, as long as he remains in office. Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj is contesting from Vidisha.

The Opposition leader said it appears the BJP Government was bent upon ensuring that the Lok Sabha polls in the State did not take place in a free and fair manner. Congress candidate from Vidisha Laxman Singh also said the Raisen Collector has been behaving in an arbitrary manner and must be sacked.