Naxal attack: Congress calls for bandh in MP tomorrow

BHOPAL: Strongly condemning the naxal attack in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, the Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh today gave a call for state bandh in protest.

"We strongly condemn the dastardly act that killed number of our former colleagues. As Chhattisgarh was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the division, therefore gave a bandh call tomorrow in protest," state Congress president Kantilal Bhuria and Leader of Opposition, Ajay Singh told reporters.

"It was a major lapse as the state government failed to provide security to the 'Parivartan Yatra' despite having knowledge about the threat to the Congress leaders from the naxalites," Bhuria said.

They demanded resignation of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and imposition of President's rule in the state.

The Congress leaders also observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to those killed in the attack.

Heavily-armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in Chattisgarh's Sukma district yesterday, killing 27 people including senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma, state party chief Nand Kumar Patel and injuring senior leader V C Shukla and 31 others.