Despite the successful launch of Vikas Yatra, leaders and workers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are living in fear given the fact that Maoist insurgents have stepped up their activities, leading to a fearful situation for all those who defied the rebels’ diktat of boycotting the mass contact programme of the State Government.
Once again, the Maoists have threatened to kill at least half-a-dozen important BJP as well as Congress leaders in a banner put up at Paneda in Geedam area, terming the Vikas Yatra a mere show biz alleging that the administration was exploiting the Adiwasis. The police, however, termed it as the act of mischief-makers.
According to sources, Maoists allegedly put up a banner on Geedam-Paneda road 50 metre away from the stadium. In the banner, they reportedly threatened to kill MlA Bhima Mandawi, former leader of Opposition and Congress leader Mahendra Karma, BJP general secretary Chaitram Atami, Tourism Board’s deputy chairman Vijay Tiwari and his son Abhilash Tiwari before the ensuing Assembly polls. The banner has created a fearful situation in the area. However, after getting the information, police reached the place and seized the banner and have started their
investigation.
Notably, Vikas Yatra had an impressive start from Dantewada, the hub of insurgency in the state for the last 2-3 decades, which not only recharged the ruling party but the Chief Minister also succeeded in giving the message that his programme and efforts have the blessings of Ma Danteshwari and due to which they reach every citizen and each corner of the State. Arrival of 30-40 thousand people at a place which had seen Naxal violence just a week back was not so simple, in fact it was beyond the expectation of one and all. The grand success of Vikas Yatra even put the CM’s adversaries on back-foot. The Vikas Yatra started from this insurgency hub showed how people were yearning for development and to strengthen their belief and trust in the administration, the Chief Minister announced development works worth over `70 crore including both dedication of finished project and foundation stone laying ceremony of the
new projects.
Chief Minister’s meeting was also held in Dantewada earlier but the huge gathering, even if it was managed by the administration, was enough to give satisfaction to BJP leadership here. After the grand meeting position of In-charge Minister Kedar Kashyap, MlA Bhima Mandawi, Deputy Chairman of Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Vijay Tiwari, BJP district president Naveen Vishwakarma and others has improved. This situation perhaps enraged the rebels who had asked for
boycott of the yatra.
Also, even if it was in the name of Vikas Yatra, the BJP leaders succeeded in reaching the inner part of the district as violence of Maoists are continuously on the rise limiting all the functions of the ruling party as well as of the opposition to urban areas alone. Neither any meeting happens in rural areas nor the public representative belonging to any party are able to reach villages.
let the common man and opposition party workers, even BJP leaders and office bearers are not safe here, which is a great concern for the
ruling party.
Meanwhile, the grand success of the meeting definitely increased the spirit of party leaders here but is to be seen that this spirit is maintained till the assembly polls just five months away from now.
It is indeed disheartening to see that for the mere two hours of VVIP stay the entire district headquarters was turned into police chhawni but the administration failed to provide even simple security to both BJP and opposition political workers, who have to live here round the clock.