Bandh in Mandsaur to protest killing of BJP leader

A near total bandh was observed Friday in the Mandsaur city to protest the killing of loca BJP leader Prahlad Bandhawar.

Bandhawar, chairman of the Mandsaur Municipal Council, was shot dead by an unidentified person Thursday.

Most of the shops, commercial establishments, schools and colleges remained shut to protest the killing of Bandhawar and the bandh was peaceful, police said.

A large number of people took part in the late BJP leader's funeral procession which passed through the city.

Bandhawar's last rites were conducted amid tight police security.

Efforts were on to arrest the assailant, district superintendent of police T K Vidhyarthi said, adding the bandh passed off peacefully.

Asked whether the murder was the fallout of a property dispute as reported in a section of the media, the officer said he won't comment at this juncture as they have yet to round up the accused.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan demanded a high-level inquiry into the killing of Bandhawar.

The BJP sought immediate arrest of Manish Bairagi, who, according to the police, has been named an accused in the FIR filed in connection with the attack.

In Bhopal, MP BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated after the new Congress government came to power.

"We are going to submit memorandums to officials at district headquarters to draw the state government's attention to the growing lawlessness in MP," Agrawal told PTI.

Asked about video clips that purportedly show Bairagi was close to a BJP leader in Mandsaur and his association with the party, he said there is no justification for the killing.

"A public representative has been shot dead in broad daylight. This is a big concern. There is no justification to the killing and arguments that the accused was close to a BJP leader," he added.