On Monday, BJP raised the issue of the killing of party leaders in Chhattisgarh in the last few days. BJP has accused the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government of starting a proxy war against BJP using the Maoists as the front. The party is preparing to have a large demonstration across the state on Friday. BJP raised the issue in parliament after four BJP leaders were killed in Bastar district in a month, reportedly by Maoists.
Chhattisgarh BJP president Arun Sao raised the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha and urged the Centre to direct the Chhattisgarh government to ensure the safety of the people. He said that the murders of four BJP members were a result of targeted killings and political conspiracy.
“Four of our key members and office bearers have been killed in Bastar in the last one month. Our Bastar district secretary Budhram Kartam who was out for a walk was found dead, Mandal president Neelkanth Kakkem was hacked to death in Bijapur, district vice president Sagar Sahu was shot dead in front of his family members in Narayanpur and former sarpanch Ramdhar Alami was hacked to death in Dantewada. All these incidents happened within a month, and it is a clear case of targeted killing and political conspiracy,” Sao said in the Lok Sabha.
Sao further said that the people of Chhattisgarh were not safe under the leadership of the Congress party. The state administration is doing nothing to ensure the protection of our people, who are now at the mercy of God. Chhattisgarh is experiencing violent crime. But we will not let the sacrifice of our people go in vain, Sao stated.
He also demanded an impartial probe into the death of the BJP’s local leaders in Bastar by any independent agency. The three recent murders involve the death of Neelkanth Kakem, the BJP divisional leader of the Bijapur district, Sagar Sahu, the party’s vice head for the Narayanpur district, and Ramdhar Alami, a former sarpanch. Kakem was murdered on February 5 by Maosists who dragged him from his home and killed him in front of his family. Five days later, two Maoists reached Sahu’s house, knocked on his door, and fired two rounds from an AK-47 as soon as the door was opened. The third and most recent killing of Ramdhar Alami was reported from Dantewada.
After BJP’s stand on the matter, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel rejected security failure claims and maintained that the killings were the last efforts by Maoists to establish their presence as they are losing ground in the Bastar area. “Such allegations of reduced security cover are false. Kedar Kashyap, former BJP MLA lost the election, but he still has Z+ security. Former CM Raman Singh doesn’t even visit Naxalite-affected areas but has more security than the Chief Minister,” Baghel told reporters on Monday.
However, former MLA Kashyap asserted that while his security cover has lasted, at least eight to ten Bastar-based BJP office-bearers have been left without police protection since the Baghel administration assumed office.
He also added that Sagar Sahu had received death threats two months ago and he had approached former SP Sadanand Kumar but no appropriate action was taken then. “There is no fear of law in the State. What security protocol is the Chief Minister and the police talking about when our workers are being killed at their own house? This shows lack of seriousness on the police’s part,” Kashyap said.
Further, BJP spokesman Ranjana Sahu also said that the Maoists and Baghel’s administration were working together. She said, “Baghel is fighting his political battle against us hiding behind the Maoists in tribal areas and using officials to get false cases registered against our workers in the plains.”
Also, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Brijmohan Agrawal slammed the state CM over the recent murders of BJP leaders. He asked the government to take responsibility for the murders and give Rs 1 crore compensation to the family members of the deceased. “Law and order is the subject of the state government. Naxalites killed four office bearers of the BJP in the last month, who is responsible for these murders? The Chief Minister should take responsibility and should give Rs 1 crore compensation to the family members of the deceased workers. The government should take responsibility,” he added.
