Imphal, March 12: Two suspected militants shot at a senior Congress leader in the chest, neck and arm after calling him out of his house at Lairenkabi in Bishnupur on the pretext of asking for directions, shortly after midnight last night.

Waikhom Maipak Singh, the president of the Bishnupur District Congress Committee, is now recuperating in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), where his condition is stated to be stable.

He had to be operated upon to remove the bullets.

Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh along with PCC president Gaikhangam, Speaker S. Budhichandra Singh, MLA Govindas Konthoujam and other Congress leaders visited Maipak Singh at RIMS this morning.

Two persons, who identified themselves as members of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council) came to Maipak Singh’s house at Oinam Mamang Leikai around midnight and asked him to lead them to the house of a member of the nagar panchayat.

Maipak Singh and his wife W. Pishakmacha Devi proceeded to show them the way.

After a while, the suspected cadres sent back Maipak Singh’s wife to fetch mattress, clothes and water, apparently on the pretext that they needed to take shelter somewhere.

A little later, shots were heard.

Maipak Singh’s family rushed out to find him bleeding from multiple bullet wounds.

He was taken straight to RIMS.

The KCP (MC) had earlier warned the Ibobi Singh-led Congress government of bomb attacks on three district Congress offices of Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts.

On February 27, it claimed responsibility for the grenade attacks on Congress offices in Thoubal and Bishnupur districts the previous night, saying that it marked the beginning of its “operation red fox” against killings of innocent people by security forces in alleged fake encounters.

A Chinese hand grenade was exploded inside the compound of Thoubal District Congress Committee at Athokpam.

An unexploded grenade was also found there. Nobody was injured. Police also found two unexploded grenades inside the Nambol block Congress Committee office compound in Bishnupur.

The KCP (MC)’s military affairs secretary, Lanheiba Meitei, had accused Ibobi Singh of ignoring its appeal to stop killings of the innocent people by security forces in fake encounters.

The PCC has condemned the attack on Maipak Singh, terming it as an act of cowardice.