CM directs officials to give befitting reply to Maoists
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel convened an emergency meeting after a Maoist attack in Dantewada claimed lives of BJP legislator Bhima Mandavi and his three personal security officers and a driver.
He reviewed the law-and-order situation with Chief Secretary Sunil Kujur, Director General of Police (DGP) D.M. Awasthi, DG (Intelligence) Sanjay Pillai and DG (Naxal) Girdhari Nayak and instructed them to take stern action against the ultras.
“Give them reply in their own language i.e. bullet for bullet,” he instructed officials.
The CM was on an election tour when the incident took place. Immediately after the incident he cancelled his election campaign at Donde in Dharsiva block of the district and rushed to official residence to review the situation in Bastar, which is going to poll on April 11.
Later in a tweet, he condemned the Maoist attack and said it was another big attack on parliamentary democracy after the Jheeram attack.
“I am baffled and stunned and am speechless to express the grief,” he said.
The state government was constantly making efforts to win the trust of tribal populace of Bastar and the Maoists were uncomfortable over it, he added. “The attack is an outcome of it,” he said.
“No other can feel the pain of the loss as we do, as we have lost our entire generation of political leadership in the state in a big Naxal incident,” he said.
“We once again reiterate our commitment to strengthen the democracy and I have instructed my officials to give a befitting reply to Maoists in their own language,” he added.
