Chhattisgarh encounter: Attack will be avenged, says Shah; cops to submit report to MHA on Monday

NEW DELHI:  Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday evening to take stock of the situation in Bijapur following the encounter.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar and senior officials of the home ministry and the CRPF attended the meeting.

Shah, who returned to Delhi cutting short his poll trip to Assam, said, “Our security men have lost their lives. We will not tolerate this bloodshed and a befitting reply will be given at an appropriate time.” 

“Our fight against Naxalites will continue with strength, perseverance and intensity and we will take it to the end,” the ministry said, in an official statement. 

Shah also spoke to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, who told him that the Naxals have indulged in such act just to make their presence felt as people are getting disillusioned with the Maoists ideology.

The Chhattisgarh Police will submit a report on the encounter to Union Home Ministry on Monday, sources said.

The report will be submitted first to CM Baghel before being sent to the Centre, they added.
Baghel said the incident showed the desperation of the Maoists “who are now restricted to the small pockets” in south Chhattisgarh.

“Our fight against the rebels will continue till we achieve a Maoist-free Bastar,” he said. 

Baghel, who was spearheading the Congress’ election campaign in Assam, returned to Raipur on Sunday evening and faced criticism from opposition for his preoccupation with Assam polls.  

Opposition flays CM over poll campaign

CM Baghel, who was spearheading the Congress campaign in Assam, returned to Raipur on Sunday and faced criticism from opposition.

The state is paying the price for his “irresponsible attitude and poor governance”,  said BJP’s Dharamlal Kaushik.

Will set up more security camps in remote areas: CRPF DG

Raipur: Maoists are “frustrated” because security camps have been set up in remote areas of Chhattisgarh and this process will be speeded up now to launch more serious operations against them, CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh said.

He said “lessons are learnt” from every incident and they will see and analyse “what changes have been brought by the Naxals” to effectively counter them. Singh said the Maoists are frustrated and troubled because of the induction of five new battalions in the Bastar and the creation of new bases in remote areas.

“They (Naxals) think if they mount heavy casualties on us they can deter us… But this does not happen,” he said. The DG asserted that the new camps “will be established and now this process will be made fast so that we can launch more operations.”