Narayanpur: Hours after the security forces claimed to have killed 29 Naxalites in an encounter in Chhattisgarh;s Kanker district, a BJP leader was stabbed to death by suspected Naxalites in Narayanpur district of Bastar region in the state on Tuesday night, sources said.
The deceased has been identified as Pancham Das, a BJP leader from Dandavan village under Farsgaon police station limits of Narayanpur district and Deputy Sarpanch of the village. Sources said that at around 11 pm, Naxalites barged inside Das's house, abducted him and stabbed him to death with a sharp weapon at a deserted area some distance away.
The Naxalites fled from the area after the murder. Narayanpur SP Prabhat Kumar confirmed the incident saying Police force along with DRG have launched a manhunt to nab the fleeing Naxalites. Pertinently, slain Das had been nominated as Shakti Kendra co-convenor by the BJP in view of Lok Sabha elections. Das was carrying out election campaigning for BJP candidate Mahesh Kashyap.
Locals said that the Naxalites have also put banners and thrown pamphlets in the area accusing slain BJP leader Pancham Das of “anti-people” activities, corruption and being a police informer.
The Naxalites have also threatened to kill Congress leader Amit Bhadra and Sarpanch Bissel Nag in pamphlets and banners.
The BJP leader's killing by the Naxalites comes after the security forces on Tuesday April 16 claimed to have gunned down as many as 29 Naxalites in Kanker district of the state. Three security forces personnel were also injured in the encounter.
