The Congress on Tuesday demanded resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh on moral ground over the Chhattisgarh Government’s failure to provide security to Congress leaders who were gunned down by the Maoists on Saturday at Darbha valley in Sukma.
The party, however, did not demand imposition of President’s Rule in the State, where Assembly polls are scheduled for year-end. It also distanced itself from Salwa Judum claiming that the Congress had condemned it long back. The Congress has also ruled out the possibility of any talks with Naxals.
Terming the brutal attack that killed 27 people and injured 36 others as a criminal act, Congress spokesperson Bhatka Charan Das said that someone has to take responsibility for security lapse on part of the State Government. “The CM should take responsibility and immediately resign.”
He said that the Union Home Ministry had one week ago given intelligence inputs about the possibility of attack, but the Chief Minister ignored the advice.
Das wondered whether former Minister Mahendra Karma, who enjoyed Z-plus security, was indeed provided the same. He pointed out that Z-plus security involved a ring of 36 jawans around him.
Pointing out that Raman Singh’s Vikas Yatra had a security cover of 3,000 police personnel, Das asked why was a similar security cover not given to the Congress leaders.
He also claimed that the State police, which was supposed to sanitise the road one hour before the movement of the leaders, did not reach the spot of the brutal killings for four hours and the bodies were unattended for more than 16 hours.
“It appears to be a political conspiracy as Naxals had prior intelligence and came prepared to eliminate the State Congress leadership,” Das said. However, the party would not be deterred by this tragedy and not stop its political activities, he asserted.
Das, however, was defensive over Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s absence from the country even four days after massacre. He highlighted that Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh all had reached the spot and Minister of State for Home RPN Singh was giving direction at the ground.