Naxal attack: Sonia hails courage of Cong leaders

Raipur: Appreciating the courage of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said the "cowardly" Maoist strike was not an attack on the Congress or its leaders but on democratic values.

"I appreciate the courage and bravery of the leaders who inspite of several adversities, took a step and went there," she said addressing party workers at the Congress Bhawan here after visiting the injured in hospital. "This is a cowardly act on the part of Maoists. It is not an attack on Congress or its leaders, but an attack on democratic values," she said while expressing grief and anguish over the Naxal attack. The attack is a "challenge for us," she said and added that people have seen that leaders have faced challenges and sacrificed their lives. Heavily-armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in Chattisgarh`s Sukma district on Saturday, 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. PTI