By NewsGram Staff Writer

Jhabua: In an unexpected turn of events, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with his Cabinet colleague Antar Singh Arya were reportedly heckled on Sunday. The incident occurred while they were on their way to Jhabua at Petlawad town where a blast caused by mining explosives left 89 people dead.

Chouhan and Arya were stalled at the new bus stand square close to the tragedy site by angry protesters, including Congressmen, who came out on the roads in large numbers shouting slogans against the State government and district administration, alleging that it had not taken appropriate steps to prevent the tragedy, eyewitnesses said.

The locals said the huge pile of explosives should not have been stored in a building at a public place, according to the law.

They demanded stern action against the concerned officials for the lapse. The protesters also shouted slogans demanding the sacking of District Collector Aruna Gupta and also allegedly manhandled the area's Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) AR Khan, who tried to clear the way for the Chief Minister.

As many as 89 people were killed and nearly 100 were injured following a blast that was caused by mining explosives which were stored in a building. It ripped through a crowded area in Petlawad town.

Chouhan had ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

With inputs from The Hindu