Surrender: Raman under House fire

The Raman Singh government came under fire in the Chhattisgarh Assembly8217;s ongoing budget session today, for allegedly forcing scores of tribal civilians to surrender as Maoists.

The Raman Singh government came under fire in the Chhattisgarh Assembly8217;s ongoing budget session today, for allegedly forcing scores of tribal civilians to surrender as Maoists.

Opposition Congress leaders stated that 79 rebels, including seven women, who surrendered before the CM and Home Minister Ramvichar Netam in a much-publicised surrender drama on January 3 in Raipur, were merely tribal civilians who were forced by the government to surrender as Maoists. Congress legislators demanded that a three-member legislative committee be established so that a proper and impartial investigation can be conducted into the episode. 8220;The government needs to come clean on the issue. There is no way that an IG-level inquiry can unearth the truth behind the drama,8221; said Congress legislator Dharamjeet Singh.

Congress leaders also claimed that those who were made to surrender included BJP cadres as well. 8220;Even parliamentary secretary Mahesh Baghel and other local BJP leaders have protested against the government8217;s surrender drama,8221; alleged Congress legislator Ravindra Choubey. They also demanded that an independent inquiry be conducted into the incident and asked that the findings of the ongoing IG-level inquiry be tabling immediately. 8220;What is the explanation for making 17 innocent tribals surrender as Naxals when the police did not even have any cases registered against them ? Did the police even conduct a preliminary inquiry of these 8220;Naxalites8221; who were made to surrender before the CM?8221; asked Congress legislator Renu Jogi.

However, the Chhattisgarh government has refused to constitute a three-member committee to probe the incident. 8220;There is no need for such a committee as we have already ordered an IG-level inquiry. The Opposition should not take a stand which can affect the morale of our security forces,8221; stated Revenue Minister BM Agrawal.

However, this is not the first time that the surrender of Maoist rebels has come under a scanner. In one such case, last year, an inquiry had shown that three police informers had been made to surrender.