Bastar bloodbath: NIA to probe possible lapses as parties,govt assess blow

“We have asked the NIA to investigate the Maoist attack. Security lapses could have taken place. Any lapse on the part of central forces or the state government,buck will have to be stopped somewhere. We have to take action,” he said.

Asked whether the mastermind of Saturday’s attack on Congress workers has been identified,Singh said it was too early to say that and any conclusion could be reached only when the probe is completed. Related: PCC chief,son among dead

The Centre has already deployed 30 battalion (approximately 30,000 personnel) in Chhattisgarh to help the state government carry out anti-Naxal operations.

Earlier,Union Home Secretary R K Singh said an official order formally handing over the case to NIA to carry out the investigation would be issued soon.

“We will issue the order of NIA probe. The NIA team will also go to Chhattisgarh today,” he told reporters here.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had yesterday said that NIA will probe the Maoist attack on Congress leaders and the Centre has received a go-ahead from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for it.

Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoyof Congress leaders in the state’s Bastar district,killing 27 people including PCC chief Patel,his son Dinesh,Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 32 others,including former Union Minister V C Shukla.

Parties and govt assess blow

The initial incomprehension in the Chhattisgarh Congress gave way to dismay as the scale of the Sukma attack began to sink in,and finally to violence as the party observed a bandh on Sunday after its state chief Nand Kumar Patel was found dead. Activists blocked trains and road traffic and ransacked several offices,targeting particularly those of the BJP.

By the time Rahul Gandhi was addressing them late on Saturday night,the demoralised party workers were already wondering who would lead them,though Patel’s body would be found only in the morning. News of the attack on the Parivartan Yatra broke around 5 pm,but it was only around 8 pm that the first hint came about Patel having possibly been killed. Kawasi Lakhma,Konta MLA,who was injured in the attack,told his party colleagues that he had heard a sudden burst of fire moments after he had seen the Maoists disappear into the forest after abducting Patel and his son.

“Lakhma told me… it is probably all over,” party media convener Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said,before the party’s fears were confirmed in the morning.

Party men crowding Raipur’s Congress Bhavan alleged the security provided to their leaders hadn’t been enough. Maoists had declared a Bastar bandh on Sunday,but police provided only a “follow” vehicle for a convoy of over 20 that was to pass through the Maoist stronghold,Congress leaders said. “Police had not even issued us an advisory about the bandh. How would we know? We presumed everything was fine,that the administration would ensure our security,” said MLA T S Sinhadev,who was in the yatra but whose vehicle had travelled a couple of kilometres ahead.

By midnight,several of the injured had been admitted to Maharani Hospital in Jagdalpur,and some to Raipur. Rahul arrived around 1 am as party men were asking one another who would lead them in the elections later this year. “Now Rahulji,Soniaji are arriving,let them decide,” said a leader.

Rahul addressed party members in a brief but emotional speech that lasted some five minutes. “Agar woh log sochte hain to humen maar kar,dara kar,bhaga denge,to who galat hain (If they think that they can chase us away by killing or intimidating us,they are wrong),” he said. “Congress workers will fight and win.” He left around 3.30 pm.

Neither he nor Chhattisgarh party members made any mention of the word “Maoist” on Saturday night. Party members’ target,at least in Chhattisgarh,was the state government. Some demanded President’s rule and condemned the BJP government for a security failure. Later,former minister Bhupesh Baghel said,“Maybe it’s time to change,to discuss what it is all about. Things cannot go on like this.”

During the bandh,Congress activists blocked trains in Raigarh,home district of Patel,besides ransacking the PWD rest house at his home in Kharsiya and BJP offices at a number of places. They burnt effigies of the chief minister and blocked roads and shut shops in several cities.

SHOCK,ANGER

“Our leaders… have sacrificed their lives. However,our country will never bow down before Naxalism”

Manmohan Singh,Prime Minister

“It is not an attack on Congress or its leaders,but an attack on democratic values”

Sonia Gandhi,Congress chief

“The nation will neither be overawed nor intimidated by such action”

Pranab Mukherjee,President

“Need to strengthen network,constantly change strategies”

Raman Singh,chief minister

“I have spoken to Raman Singh; he has agreed to an NIA probe”

Sushil Kumar ShiNde,

Home minister (as quoted by PTI from New York)

“Ultimately tribals will suffer… Development of their area will go back for two-three decades”

Kishore Chandra Deo,

Union tribal affairs minister

“If the government had taken care of security,this wouldn’t have happened”

Rajesh Bissa,Congress