Raipur: In a new political turn, the main opposition Congress announced that the party MLAs would not attend the dinner party, hosted by the Governor E S L Narasimhan for the legislatures today.

"We, all the Congress MLAs, have decided to boycott the dinner party of the Governor being hosted for the legislatures of the state today night," Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma told reporters here. The decision not to attend the dinner party of the Governor was taken in a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party, said Karma.

The Congress decided to boycott the dinner against the March 4 incident at the Raj Bhawan, in which the Leader of Opposition, PCC President Charan Das Mahant and other party leaders and MLAs were not allowed to enter the Raj Bhawan when they had a prior appointment to meet the Governor, he said.

On the alleged derogatory remarks of the former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and others in a state government organised religious function in Raipur, when the Congress delegations had gone to hand over a memorandum to take action against the BJP leader they failed to meet the Governor.

On instruction of the state BJP government, the officials did not allow the Congress delegation, led by the PCC President and CLP leader, to meet the Governor, Deputy Opposition leader Bhupesh Baghel had alleged. "We had taken the prior appointment, but after reaching the gate of the Raj Bhawan the delegation was not allowed to meet him, Baghel said, adding the next day a memorandum was sent to the President on that matter.

Source : PTI