Former Minister and State Congress general secretary Vidhan Mishra on Wednesday demanded that the National Investigating Agency (NIA) report on Jheeram Ghati carnage of Congress leaders on May 25 last year in Bastar, be made public before the lok Sabha voting.
Accusing his own party for not commemorating the sacrifice made by his political mentor VC Shukla who sustained bullet wounds in the attack and later died, Mishra said “The party should not forget that Shukla was in the centre of politics for fifty years and was represented Congress in the lok Sabha for a record nine times” he said. “The party neglected him (VC Shukla) for 15 years when he was alive. Now the party is neglecting him even after his death,’’ Mishra alleged. He added it would be a perfect tribute to him if the Government makes the NIA report public before the lok Sabha election, he said.Mishra claimed that recently he wrote letters to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to know if the party has forgotten the sacrifice of the late veteran leader.
“There has been no response to these letters from the party so far,’’ he said. Mishra had sought a party ticket for Shukla’s daughter Pratibha Pandey from Mahasamund lok Sabha constituency, which was denied. The Congress has fielded Ajit Jogi from Mahasamund.Mishra said that the party has forgotten the contribution of a person who was active in country’s political scene for 50 years and helped Congress when it was passing through a difficult time.
Similarly, Shukla’s contribution for creation of a separate Chhattisgarh State is also undisputed. He was the man who had organised massive demonstration in Delhi. However, after the formation of Chhattisgarh State, he was sidelined in the party, Mishra informed.