IndiaChhattisgarh attack cold-blooded murder, says Rajnath Singh

Chhattisgarh attack cold-blooded murder, says Rajnath Singh

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Chhattisgarh attack cold-blooded murder, says Rajnath Singh

Raipur, April 25

Home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday described as “a cold-blooded murder” the Naxalite attack on a CRPF patrol that killed 25 men in Chhattisgarh.

Singh, who paid homage to the CRPF personnel at a wreath-laying ceremony at the headquarters of the 4th battalion of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force in the Mana camp area, said it was a “cowardly” act.

Governor Balramji Das Tandon, Chief Minister Raman Singh, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir and senior state and paramilitary officials were also present at the ceremony.

Singh said the attack was part of a campaign by Naxals to counter the development work being carried out by the Centre and the state government.

He said a strategy to tackle Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) would be reviewed and revised during a high-level meeting to be held in New Delhi on May 8.

“This is an act of desperation. We have accepted this as a challenge. We will review our LWE strategy and revise it, if required,” the minister, who also held a meeting with the Chief Minister and senior officials of the state, told reporters.

He described the incident as a “cold-blooded murder” and accused Naxalites of using tribal villagers as a shield.

“The sacrifices of our brave jawans will not go in vain,” he said, adding, “The Naxals are frustrated with the development of roads in Bastar region.”

The Home Minister said Naxalites were the “biggest enemies” of tribal and poor people in the area and were against any development.

“But they will not succeed in their evil designs,” he said, asserting that the Centre and the state would work together to fight them.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, too, called the attack “condemnable” saying development work as well as anti-Naxal operations would continue unabated.

“We will increase our development activities as well as strengthen our operation,” he said.

The Home Minister said Monday's incident was the outcome of “frustration” among the rebels because of the ongoing anti-Naxal operations being carried out by security forces.

The attack took place when a 100-strong CRPF patrol was providing security for road construction work in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

In the fierce gunfire from Maoist guerrillas occupying vantage positions, at least 25 CRPF personnel were killed and seven wounded.

The Naxalites mounted the assault in the Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, where Left-Wing extremism is rampant.

This was the deadliest guerrilla attack on security forces in the state so far this year.

‘Naxals were armed with rocket launchers, AK-47s'

“They were some 300 Naxalites, all wearing black,” a jawan who was part of the Central Reserve Police Force unit ambushed on Monday said.

Some of the Maoists carried rocket launchers, the jawan, who did not wish to be named, said.

Another injured jawan, Sher Mohammad Khan, said the Naxalites also carried AK-47s, SLRs and other automatic weapons.

The two men, who were in a 99-strong CRPF team carrying out a sanitisation exercise for an under-construction road in Chhattisgarh, are now being treated in a hospital in Raipur.

“They first sent the villagers to check our location. The villagers weren't carrying arms, (so) how could we fire at them,” the unnamed CRPF man asked. “We retaliated. We also killed many Naxals,” he added.

Khan said there were women in the group of Naxalites that attacked the CRPF team in Sukma.

Sukma is a part of south Bastar, which has for decades been battling the guerrillas.

Since April 2010, nearly 200 security personnel have died in six major attacks in Chhattisgarh.

“I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh to grant us the Power Act (AFSPA) in this area to deal with the Naxal menace,” Khan said, referring to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts or AFSPA, in force in some troubled parts of the country. The controversial Act gives sweeping powers, such as the right to shoot at sight, to the forces.

The government promised to review its strategy on battling Naxalites, as the Chhattisgarh chief minister warned that an operation would be launched “with more firmness” and “vigour” against the guerrillas in the coming days. — PTI

Northlines
Northlines
The Northlines is an independent source on the Web for news, facts and figures relating to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and its neighbourhood.

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