In a major tragedy that befell Maharashtra on its foundation day, 15 commandos and a civilian driver were killed on Wednesday after Maoists blew up their vehicles in Kurkheda tehsil of Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra. The IED blast, whose impact left a large crater on the road, came hours after Naxals torched 27 vehicles of a road construction company earlier in the day, police said.
The C-60 commandos of Gadchiroli police were travelling in two vehicles for Naxal combing operations, when they found several fallen trees blocking the road leading to an isolated stretch of the road in a forest area. When the security personnel alighted to clear the road, landmines planted by Maoists blew up, leaving 16 personnel dead.
The incident comes nearly one year after the security agencies killed as many as 40 Maoists in two biggest-ever Naxal encounters undertaken in the jungles of Gadchiroli. In the twin encounters that took place on April 22-23, 2018, the security personnel had nearly eliminated all the Maoists operating in the area.
The Wednesday’s attack is being seen as an attempt by the Maoists to avenge last year’s twin anti-Naxal encounters and to voice their frustration over 71.98 per percentage polling witnessed in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 11— the highest recorded in the four phases of polling in Maharashtra.
“The high polling percentage in the Gadchiroli district has rattled the Maoist leadership. The Maoists had given a call to boycott polls and also disrupt polls. They could not succeed,” Special Inspector General of Police (in-charge of Anti Naxal Operation) Sharad Shelar said.
The shocking attack came nearly ten hours after the Maoists set on fire at least 36 private vehicles and two site offices of a road construction firm along the Purada-Malewada-Yerkhade stretch of the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh national highway number 136.
Mourning the death of security personnel, President Ram Nath Kovind said, “Thoughts and prayers with the families of the police personnel killed. The entire nation stands united in the fight against such violence.”
“Strongly condemn the despicable attack on our security personnel in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. I salute all the brave personnel. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten. My thoughts & solidarity are with the bereaved families. The perpetrators of such violence will not be spared,” Modi tweeted.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said : “This senseless attack on our forces is a clear attempt to derail peace and progress.” Condemning the attack, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted: “I strongly condemn this attack and we will fight this menace with even more and stronger efforts. I also spoke to Hon Union Home Minister @rajnathsingh ji and briefed him about the situation in Maharashtra.
In a tweet put out in Hindi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said that he was sad to learn about the attack. “The attack on security forces in Gadchiroli is sad and I am pained. I convey my deep condolences to the families of those killed in the attack”.
Maharashtra Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao cancelled the reception and cultural programme organized at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. “The reception was cancelled as a mark of respect to the police personnel who lost their lives in the Naxal attack in Gadchiroli district,” a statement from Raj Bhavan said.
The Governor had organized the reception and cultural Programme for eminent personalities and diplomats on the occasion of the 59th anniversary of Maharashtra Day. On his part, NCP supremo and former union minister Sharad Pawar demanded the resignation of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the wake of the Naxal attack. “The chief minister holds the Home portfolio and he should resign,” Pawar tweeted.
Pawar charged that the rulers were neglecting law and order situation in the Naxal-affected areas. Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde said that Pawar was speaking the language of the Naxals. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal denied that the attack was a fallout of an intelligence failure but said that the police was ready to give a reply. “It is a big loss...we are ready to give a befitting reply to (the Maoists)... . I cannot call it an intelligence failure. We will take whatever action is needed,” Jaiswal said. Addressing a news conference in Mumbai, Jaiswal said: “The saddest part is that we have lost 15 of our men… Whatever is to be done, will be done,” he a press conference in Mumbai.
“We will revisit the entire thing and see whatever is to be done… Our operations will continue with full force. We have the capacity to give a befitting reply,” the DGP said. “Their motive is to uproot democracy from the country. Our effort is to ensure nothing of this sort happens in the future,” Jaiswal said.
He said it won’t be right to say that the incident happened because of an ‘intelligence failure’ but investigations will be conducted to see how it occurred.
“This is not connected to the elections in the country. Whatever needs to be done, will be done,” Jaiswal said.
In an earlier incident that took place on April 10 on the eve of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, Maoists struck in Gatta village at Etapalli in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra, by injuring two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in an IED explosion.
Wednesday’s incident has established the Maoists, who had been nearly decimated in the twin encounters that took place on April 22-23 last year, have re-grouped in the forests of Gadchiroli district, bordering Chhatisgarh. It may be recalled that while 33 Maoists were killed in the first encounter undertaken jointly by the C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police and personnel from battalion 9 of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Boria-Tadgaon jungle of Bramhagad tehil on April 22, 2018, 7 left extremists were gunned down in the second operation carried out by the C-60 commandos in Ninar jungle of Jamalghatta sub-division in Gadchiroli district on the following evening.
The success of the two encounters, which took place on April 22-23, 2018, could be gauged from the fact that the Sironcha, Ghatta and Perimeli Dhalams - operating in Aheri and Sironcha talukas of Gadchiroli district - were decimated in the most extensive and clinic operations undertaken by the state and central security agencies.