New Delhi: The Congress understands the pain of losing a family member in a Maoist attack and the party’s government in Chhattisgarh will continue to act against the ultras, a senior leader said on Wednesday. As many as 10 policemen and a civilian were killed in an IED attack carried out by Maoists in the state's Dantewada district on Wednesday.
“The entire top state Congress leadership was wiped out in a 2013 Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack. We understand the pain of the family members of the 10 jawans and a driver who were killed in the Maoist attack on Wednesday,” Congress Lok Sabha member from Chhattisgarh's Naxal hub Bastar Deepak Baij told ETV Bharat. “The state government will continue to take action against the ultras,” he said.
As many as 25 persons, including former union minister VC Shukla, anti-naxal movement Salwa Judum leader Mahendra Karma, and state unit chief Nand Kumar Patel, were killed in a deadly Naxal attack in the Jhiram Ghati area in Jagdalpur in 2013. The BJP was in power in the tribal state then. According to Baij, “In 2013, our Parivartan yatras were going on across the state. Naxalism was at its peak in the Bastar area. Travelling even 1 km inside the jungles from the main road was difficult. The then BJP government headed by Dr Raman Singh had withdrawn security to our yatra which led to the attack.”
“During BJP rule, tribals were jailed in fake cases, fake surrenders of Naxals were organised and fake encounters used to take place. Naxal attacks were a regular feature. But since the Congress came to power in 2018, things became better,” said Baij. The Lok Sabha member further said that the Bhupesh Baghel government had been adopting a three-pronged strategy to deal with the menace of Naxalism.
“We urged the chief minister to stop fake encounters against the Naxals. Barring one or two cases, there has been no fake encounter and no putting in jail in fake cases. In fact, the state government released many Naxals who were found to be innocent. The state government took action against the ultras and pushed them 10 km deep into the jungles from the main highways in the district headquarters. As a result, the Naxals had been on the back foot,” said Baij.
“Alongside, the government also pushed development in the region to address the concerns of the Naxals and gave them roads, electricity, and drinking water,” he said. The Congress leader claimed that as a result of the government action, the number of Naxal attacks had come down over the past years but acknowledged that Wednesday’s attack in Dantewada area was a message to the establishment.
“The Naxals have given a message that they are still strong in the area. They generally use the summer months to launch attacks as the jungle is full of fallen leaves which provides them with a natural camouflage and allows them to target the forces from a distance. But the government will keep mobilising the force against the ultras,” said Baij. “The place of Wednesday’s attack used to be a Naxal hub but had been cleared. However, there was some firing of late. We had feared the Naxals could launch a big attack,” he said.
The Lok Sabha member acknowledged that Wednesday’s attack had come as a shocker days after CM Baghel organised a “bharosa rally’ in Jagdalpur area on April 13, in which around two lakh people had gathered to address party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. “These two-lakh people had come to listen to Priyankaji. The state government highlighted its development of Bastar through various counters. But today’s attack has come as a shocker to all of us,” Baij added.
Also read: Dantewada attack: Maoist-Naxal insurgency far from over, says former DG BSF Prakash Singh
