Chhattisgarh attack cold-blooded murder, says Rajnath Singh

Raipur, April 25

Home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday described as “a cold-blooded murder” the Naxalite attack on a CRPF patrol that killed 25 men in Chhattisgarh.

Singh, who paid homage to the CRPF personnel at a wreath-laying ceremony at the headquarters of the 4th battalion of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force in the Mana camp area, said it was a “cowardly” act.

Governor Balramji Das Tandon, Chief Minister Raman Singh, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir and senior state and paramilitary officials were also present at the ceremony.

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Singh said the attack was part of a campaign by Naxals to counter the development work being carried out by the Centre and the state government.

He said a strategy to tackle Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) would be reviewed and revised during a high-level meeting to be held in New Delhi on May 8.

“This is an act of desperation. We have accepted this as a challenge. We will review our LWE strategy and revise it, if required,” the minister, who also held a meeting with the Chief Minister and senior officials of the state, told reporters.

He described the incident as a “cold-blooded murder” and accused Naxalites of using tribal villagers as a shield.

“The sacrifices of our brave jawans will not go in vain,” he said, adding, “The Naxals are frustrated with the development of roads in Bastar region.”

The Home Minister said Naxalites were the “biggest enemies” of tribal and poor people in the area and were against any development.

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“But they will not succeed in their evil designs,” he said, asserting that the Centre and the state would work together to fight them.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, too, called the attack “condemnable” saying development work as well as anti-Naxal operations would continue unabated.

“We will increase our development activities as well as strengthen our operation,” he said.

The Home Minister said Monday’s incident was the outcome of “frustration” among the rebels because of the ongoing anti-Naxal operations being carried out by security forces.

The attack took place when a 100-strong CRPF patrol was providing security for road construction work in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.

In the fierce gunfire from Maoist guerrillas occupying vantage positions, at least 25 CRPF personnel were killed and seven wounded.

The Naxalites mounted the assault in the Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, where Left-Wing extremism is rampant.

This was the deadliest guerrilla attack on security forces in the state so far this year.

‘Stay put’

Singh directed acting chief of the CRPF and a top security officer to stay put in Chhattisgarh to ensure coordinated "targeted" operations against the Naxals, apparently unhappy over the functioning of the paramilitary force.

The directive after reports said the home minister was unhappy over the functioning of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

He has conveyed to the CRPF brass to resolve some "inherent" problems like weaponry, logistics and intelligence gathering mechanism to ensure lethality and better results by avoiding casualties in anti-Naxal operations, sources said.

The home minister asked acting director general of the CRPF, Sudeep Lakhtakia and senior security advisor in the home ministry, K Vijay Kumar to stay put in Chhattisgarh to ensure coordinated operations against the Naxals, they said.

The two officers will stay in Chhattisgarh till a robust anti-Naxal operation is carried out against those involved in the killing of 25 CRPF personnel yesterday, official sources said.

Lakhtakia and Kumar will ensure targeted action, based on pinpointed intelligence, by the security forces against the Naxals, the sources said. —  PTI