C'garh BJP leaders change profile pics to condemn Naxal attack

BJP leaders in Chhattisgarh took to social media Wednesday to express grief and anger over the death of a party MLA in Naxal attack, replacing their profile pictures with a black circle.

Former chief minister Raman Singh, state BJP chief Vikram Usendi, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Dharamlal Kaushik and others changed their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter as a mark of protest.

BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi was killed in a Naxal attack in Dantewada district Tuesday.

The state BJP media cell member Hemant Panigrahi said the party has also released a short video featuring Mandavi and his statements against the Naxals to pay tribute to him.

Mandavi was the lone BJP leader to win from Bastar division which has 12 assembly constituencies in 2018 polls.

He was elected from Dantewada for the first time in 2008. In 2013 he lost to Congress' Devti Karma, wife of Congress leader Mahendra Karma who was killed in the Jhiram valley Naxal attack in May earlier that year.

But in 2018 he defeated Devti Karma.

Mandavi and four security personnel were killed when Naxals blew up their vehicle near Shyamgiri village, around 400 km from Raipur, Tuesday.

The attack came two days ahead of voting in the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency.