NEW DELHI: Saddened over the killing of 12 CRPF troops in an ambush-cum-IED blast in Sukma (Chhattisgarh) on Friday, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh has decided to skip Holi celebrations on Monday.
The Home Minister will not play Holi tomorrow as he was saddened by the attrition of 12 CRPF jawans in an unfortunate incident in Chhattisgarh, said a Home Ministry spokesperson.
In a major attack in one of the deadliest attacks on CRPF in Chhattisgarh, as many as 12 paramilitary personnel lost their lives and their arms were looted by the ultra-Left extremists. The Naxals had ambushed a Road Opening Patrol (ROP) party and triggered an IED blast in Sukma to mount the casualties on the paramiliatry.
CRPF is the designated Central paramilitary force aiding anti-Naxal operations in the affected States including Chhattisgarh which is the worst hit.
According to CRPF official accounts, the incident occurred at 9.10 AM near Kottacheru village under Bhejji police station when 112 personnel of 219 Battalion of the CRPF were engaged in a ROP duty.
Union Home Minister had visited Raipur on Wednesday evening to pay homage to the killed jawans. Dubbing the Naxal attack as "cowardly act", Singh had said their sacrifices would not go in vain.