Bhopal, July 6 (IANS) Protesting arrests of senior Congress leaders who arrived in the curfew-bound Indore to meet the riot-affected people, Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Jamuna Devi staged a sit-in at the chief minister’s house here Sunday. The Indore police detained Congress leaders, including former chief minister Digvijay Singh, state Congress chief Suresh Pachouri, the party’s election campaign committee chairman Ajay Singh and others at the city airport on their arrival in the morning. Later, the police announced the arrest of the leaders after declaring the place where they were held as temporary jail.

However, the Congress leaders insisted that they be provided curfew passes and allowed to meet the affected people. The authorities declined to do so.

When the news of the arrest reached Bhopal, Congress leaders, including state Congress spokesman Manak Agarwal, J.P. Dhanopia and others led by Jamuna Devi staged a dharna (sit-in) outside the chief minister’s house at 3.30 p.m. They demanded the arrested leaders be immediately released and allowed to meet the affected people. They also demanded resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Six people were killed in communal clashes in Indore following a bandh (general shut-down) called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to withdraw the land allotted to Amarnath shrine board. The violence continued unabated for three days in the city despite the imposition of curfew.