Taking exception to Congress leaders as well as the Union Ministers’ remarks against the State Government in terms of Maoist attack on Parivartan Yatra convoy, the BJP charged that the Union Government has lost its credibility as there was no unanimity in the statements of Union Ministers as well as Congress leaders on this issue.
He demanded that Maoist insurgency should be treated like a national problem and action to be taken accordingly.
In the Maoist attack at Darbha Valley on Saturday last, 29 people — including former State Minister Mahendra Karma and Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nand Kumar Patel— were killed.
Addressing a Press conference at ‘Ekatma Parishar’ on Friday afternoon, party spokesman Ajay Chandrakar charged that Congress leader Digvijay Singh, Union Ministers Charandas Mahant, Jairam Ramesh, Kishore Chandra Deo, Shushilkumar Shinde and others who visited Chhattisgarh after the Darbha massacre talked in different voices criticising the State Government for the attack but they remained mum on the alleged mediator between Nand Kumar Patel and Maoists as the former was trying to obtain consent of Maoists for a safe passage in Bastar for Parivartan Yatra. Chandrakar showed the clip of a newspaper in this connection to journalists in the conference.
The BJP spokesman accused the Congress leaders of playing politics on the bodies of leaders killed in the Maoist massacre instead of making the party’s stand clear on the issue of taking action against Maoist insurgency. Chandrakar said that from the year 1967, when the scourge of Naxal started, the Congress ruled most of the States. Presently also, except Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is ruling in most of the States hit by Naxal violence. The rise of Naxalism is solely due to wrong policies of the Congress governments, he alleged.
Talking about the probe into Darbha massacre, Chandrakar said the State Government has done its work quickly but then the probe will take its time, it cannot be completed in a day or two. He demanded that Konta MlA Kawasi lakhma, who has now been discharged from hospital, should tell what did he talk with Naxals in Gondi so that they let him go unharmed.
The BJP State spokesman demanded that the Centre should treat Maoist insurgency as a national problem and must initiate action accordingly.