Chhattisgarh Maoist attack: `Shocked’ Sonia holds meeting with PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi condemned as "despicable" the attack on her party colleagues in Chhattisgarh`s Jagdalpur district.

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday condemned as "despicable" the attack on her party colleagues in Chhattisgarh`s Jagdalpur district and held a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the "shocking" incident.

Gandhi, who was accompanied by party vice president Rahul Gandhi, told reporters here after the meeting with Singh, that they are "shocked, astounded and pained by the attack on our colleagues”. She condemned the Maoist attack on the Congress Parivartan Yatra that led to the death of party leader Mahendra Karma. The UPA chairperson said the attack on ordinary party workers is "despicable". "Naturally we are devastated... It is despicable that ordinary people engaged in political activity were attacked," she said. The Congress president hoped that the Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son, who are missing since the attack, have not been kidnapped by the Maoists. Gandhi also expressed concern over the condition of senior Congress leader VC Shukla, who was injured in the attack. "Shuklaji has been hit by a bullet in the stomach area," she said. Gandhi said the Prime Minister, who has also condemned the incident, has spoken to the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister two hours back who had said he will get back but had still not called. PMO sources said the Prime Minister called up Raman Singh soon after the Maoist attack. He asked the Chief Minister if more central forces are required urgently by the Chhattisgarh government, the sources said. Gandhi said all authorities concerned have been asked to render all support. Gandhi`s political secretary Ahmed Patel was also present in the meeting with the Prime Minister. PTI