Congress MLA shot at by miscreants; Badbil bandh to protest attack

Bhubaneswar, Feb 27 (UNI) The Opposition Congress today called for Badbail bandh to protest against the attack on party MLA from Chamua Dhanurjaya Sidhu by two unidentified assailants near Badhara Sahi Chhak, close to the Badbil police station in Keonjhar district last night.

Mr Sidhu was returning home with Sarpanch elect Bhagban Majhi when his vehicle was trapped in a traffic jam near Serenda.At this point two motor cycle borne miscreants following him,opened fire at the vehicle.

The panicked Congress MLA rushed to a nearby roadside Dhaba to escape from the attack of the assailants but sustained three bullet injuries.The miscreants managed to flee from the scene after the under the cover of darkness.

Mr Sidhu was immediately taken to Badbil Hospital and then shifted to the TISCO hospital at Joda where the doctors operated upon him and removed two bullets from his body.

This morning he was flown to Cuttack in a helicopter and was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the S C B Medical College and Hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.

Sources said doctors would operate to remove another bullet which still remained in his body.

The Keonjhar police have detained three people on the basis of brief sketch provided by the driver of the MLA about the assailants and they were being interrogated.

Police suspected the attack on the MLA was in connection with the political rivalry in the just concluded Panchayat elections in the state.

UNI