State-wide Vyapam bandh total: Congress

Senior leaders like party general secretary Digvijaya Singh and state unit president Arun Yadav are demanding Chief Minister's resignation over the scam

To press for its demand for state chief minister shivraj singh Chouhan's resignation over Vyapam issue, statewide bandh called by Madhya Pradesh Congress today received mixed responses. Markets across the state remained partially open while some reports reaching here said it remained total in some parts of the state. The Congress called it total, while BJP said by coming to sadak (road), they (Congress) has become party of "sadakchhap netas".

Senior leaders like party general secretary Digvijaya Singh and state unit president Arun Yadav are demanding Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's resignation over the Vyapam scam. Yadav said they have a three-pronged demand: resignation of chief minister, Supreme Court monitored CBI probe and a CBI probe into the probing agencies.

Digvijaya Singh rode a bike while Yadav was a pillion rider. The duo visited various city areas and support bandh. "Bandh was total despite ruling BJP made unsuccessful bid of spoiling it by releasing huge advertisements in local newspapers and by misusing state government machinery. But Bandh was successful and people have supported us overwhelmingly. Almost all shops were closed though Eid festival is nearby. It shows how people have responded to our call."

However, Madhya Pradesh BJP's state unit president Nand Kumar Chouhan said, "It was total failure, all markets were open. We enjoyed it a lot. The Muslim community did not support the bandh as it was called on the eve of Eid festival."

Few businessmen put up posters against the bandh at few places in the busy Chowk bazaar and also posted advertisements in newspapers to protest against the bandh.

Leader of opposition in state assembly Satyadev Katare said they would soon chalk out a strategy to corner the ruling BJP over the Vyapam issue while senior leader Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia are busy in readying a strategy to raise the issue in coming Parliament sessions. Vyapam scam pertains to rigging entrance examination scam in which officials, politicians and middlemen ensured admission to various students in professional courses like medical and government jobs to several others in lieu of bribe.