Jiram valley attack: Cong to observe May 25 as martyrdom day

RAIPUR: The main opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh has decided to observe ' martyrdom day' on May 25 to pay homage to the victims, including senior state party leaders, of Jiram valley Naxal attack.

"The death anniversary of senior party leaders - Mahendra Karma, Nandkumar Patel, Uday Mudliyar and others - who were martyred in May 25 attack last year will be observed as Martyrdom day," Congress state spokesperson Mahendra Chhabra said today.

The party will hold several programmes at all district and block headquarters to mark the day, he said.

Congress will also observe martyrdom day on June 11, the death anniversary of former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla, who was also injured in the May 25 attack and later died, he said.

On May 25 last year, Naxals had ambushed the convoy of Congress leaders in Jiram valley of Bastar's Darbha region when they were on way to Jagdalpur from Sukma while returning from a parivartan rally.

A total of 31 people, including PCC chief Nandkumar Patel, his son Dinesh, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar, were killed and several others injured in the incident.

Vidayacharan Shukla, who was injured in the attack, later died at a Gurgaon hospital while undergoing treatment.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the incident.