Impose President's Rule in Chhattisgarh: UP Cong

Allahabad, May 27: Flaying the BJP government in Chhattisgarh for Naxal attack on Congress convoy, in which 27 people were killed, party leaders here demanded imposition of President's rule in the Maoist-hit state.

Led by MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi and AICC member Shekhar Bahuguna, Congress leaders on May 26 staged a demonstration at the Civil Lines crossing of the city and denounced the attack in which Chhattisgarh PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel was among those killed.

"The BJP government in the state, despite knowing the threat that our party colleagues could face in insurgency-hit forest areas, failed to make adequate security arrangements," Joshi said while addressing the protestors.

"It appears that the state government deliberately ignored security arrangements as our party colleagues were on a political campaign which was obviously unsettling for the party in power.

"Such a government has no moral right to remain in power. It should be dismissed and the state should be placed under President's rule," she said.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued here, the Central Air Command of the Indian Air Force has said five helicopters were pressed into service to help the local administration in evacuation of casualties and ferrying away injured for medical treatment.

One of these helicopters had also airlifted 84-year-old Congress leader V C Shukla, "who was critically injured in the attack and sustained three bullet hits", Defence PRO Wing Commander B B Pande said in the statement.

27 people, including Patel and his son Dinesh, senior leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar, were killed and 32 others injured yesterday in the Maoist ambush in a forested area of Chhattisgarh.

PTI