Following opposition raised by the AJSU, a partner in the BJP-led Government in the State against the surrender of former CPI (Maoist) Area Commander Kundan Pahan, other political parties also raised questioned over glamourising the whole event, where police personnel were even seen taking ‘selfie’ with the person accused in 128 criminal cases.
Talking to media persons at the party office on Monday, JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey apprehended that the whole episode was organized under some hidden agenda of the State Government.
“Jharkhand Mukti Morcha strongly criticises the whole episode where the dreaded Maoist, accused for dozens of cold blooded murders, was welcomed by the police officials with a bouquet in their hands as if they have knelt down before him. The party feels that some political agenda is working behind it,” said Pandey. He also raised questions over glamourising the surrender of this Maoist and was presented before the media as if he was a ‘Robinhood’ of Jharkhand.
“It is also not a secret how he came before the public without having any sense of fear or guilt on his face. It is also being felt that some deal has been done for paving way for Pahan to surrender before the Police,” said Pandey. “If such questions are raised, the State Government must get it investigated and clear the dust, he added.
Pandey further added that BJP was also trying to take advantage of this surrender after its base among the people is diminishing in this State following all round opposition against the changes in CNT, SPT Acts and recruitment policy of the State Government.
Frowning over Pahan’s statement that he wanted to contest elections if given a chance, Pandey said everything was being done under a hidden agenda of BJP-led government in the State.
State Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat, registering his opposition over the whole episode, said that a wrong message was being passed among the people by glamourising the surrender of a Maoist.
“It was not justified to hug a Maoist who has 128 cases against him which also includes some cold blooded murder cases. looking at the body language of Kundan Pahan and police officials present there, it was difficult to make out who was surrendering before whom,” said Bhagat. He said that he was never opposed to the surrender policy of the State Government, but, at the same time, impact assessment of the same was also important.
Incidentally, Pahan officially surrendered before the police during a grand function organised by Ranchi Police where he was presented before the media like a hero having no sense of fear or guilt on his face. He was given a place among senior police officials on the stage and was also asked by them to addressee media persons like a hero.
Meanwhile, AJSU MlA Vikas Kumar Munda, presently sitting on indefinite dharna at Morhabadi ground, has written a letter to Chief Minister Raghubar Das demanding a CBI inquiry into the whole episode so that justice could be done with the family members of slain DSP Pramod Kumar Singh, Inspector Francis Induwar and dozens of others who were killed by him.
“Munda has also demanded the State Government to put their side strongly before the court so that Pahan gets life sentence and souls of the innocent people killed by him may rest in peace,” stated Munda in his letter.