Injured VHP leader alleges Congress leader behind attack

BHUBANESWAR: VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, who was injured in an attack in Kandhmal district, which led to large scale violence and arson in the district, on Tuesday night alleged that a senior Congress leader was behind the attack on him. Eighty-year-old Saraswati, who led an anti-conversion movement was shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital at Cuttack from Darinigibadi government hospital, told reporters that a group of villagers launched an attack on him on Monday at the instruction of the Congress leader. "They attacked to eliminate me," he said adding this was for the seventh time that they failed to kill him. Saraswati, who is a member of the VHP's 'margadarshak mandali', was attacked by a group of villagers while he was on the way to Brahmanigaom on Monday. His driver and personal security guard were seriously injured in the incident and his car badly damaged. While Saraswati was admitted at Darinigibadi government hospital, his security guard was rushed to M K C G Medical College Hospital at Berhampur.