Chhattisgarh Attack: Congress target in Bastar bloodbath

The dead included Salwa Judum leader Mahendra Karma,former MLA Uday Mudaliyar and another leader Gopi Vadhwani. Former union minister Vidya Charan Shukla took three bullets and was among the 17 injured.

The whereabouts of Patels son Dinesh Patel were also not known for a few hours before he safely reached Darbha. But some bodies and some among the injured were still at the site of the attack late on Saturday and a few leaders were also believed to be trapped.

The assault,thought to be unprecedented as Maoists have generally targeted forces in uniform or government officers,was launched when at least 200 insurgents,both men and women,attacked the convoy of around 30 vehicles on the Bastar-Sukma national highway around 4 pm.

The convoy was returning from Sukma after holding an election rally. The Maoists first set off an IED,according to eyewitnesses,and then opened indiscriminate fire at the convoy. The first vehicle was completely destroyed in the explosion.

I was in the same vehicle with Patel and his son. We were asked to come out.they then took the duo away inside the forests, Konta MLA Kawasi Lakhma said. Lakhma managed to reach Jagdalpur and is now admitted in Maharani Hospital,where his condition is said to be stable.

Patels younger son Umesh,who got married last week,has appealed to the Maoists to release his father.

First a blast,then firing on second,third,fourth vehicles. There were young women and men. They surrounded us from all directions. Several leaders have been killed on the spot, said survivor Chauleshwar Chandrakar,who was hit in the hand.

At least three eyewitnesses said that Karma had been killed. Maoists first asked who is Mahendra Karma…and as he voluntarily came out of the vehicle with his hands in the air,Maoists badly thrashed him with rifle butts and then sprayed 10-15 bullets on him, one of them said.

State media convenor Shailesh Nitin Trivedi also corroborated the versions. The survivors have called us and said that Maoists have taken away the PCC president and his son. According to them some leaders,including Mahendra Karma,have also been killed, Trivedi said.

An injured V C Shukla remained on the spot,profusely bleeding,before he was rescued and taken to Maharani Hospital in Jagdalpur. He was subsequently airlifted out of Jagdalpur.

I was in the convoy. My vehicle was left behind. Roads were blocked by felling trees,as we tried to cross, said Devendra Yadav,another survivor.

Chief Minister Raman Singh has called off his Vikas Yatra and convened an emergency meeting. We strongly condemn the incident, he said.

The government has announced a three-day mourning and the state police have sought the help of the Andhra Pradesh police to nab the attackers.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has left New Delhi for Raipur.

Congress leaders said that Patels convoy had been attacked in July 2011 too and alleged that the state government had not provided him enough security. They said they would meet the governor and demand Presidents rule in the state.