DANTEWADA: Heart-wrenching scenes of grief unfolded as wreaths were laid on Tuesday at the mortal remains of eight police personnel and a civilian driver killed in a blast carried out by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, along with other senior state leaders and the inconsolable family members of the deceased, paid homage at the wreath-laying ceremony held at the Police Lines in Karli, Dantewada, amid chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram'.
The family members, including women and children, were seen crying as women security personnel tried to console them.
After paying tribute to the martyred personnel, Chief Minister Sai stated, "The sacrifices of the jawans will not go in vain, and we will be successful in establishing peace in the state."
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and Director General of Police Ashok Juneja joined Chief Minister Sai in lending their shoulders to the mortal remains of the jawans as they were shifted to vehicles for transportation to the native places of the deceased.
In their biggest strike on security forces in Chhattisgarh in two years, Naxalites on Monday detonated a 60-70 kg improvised explosive device (IED) targeting the security personnel’s vehicle near Ambeli village under Kutru police station limits in Bijapur district.
Eight security personnel—four each from the state police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters units—along with the vehicle’s driver, died on the spot, around 70 km from Bijapur district headquarters.
Apart from Chief Minister Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Sharma, several lawmakers and senior officials also paid their respects to the deceased.
Chief Minister Sai further met the grieving family members of the martyred jawans and the civilian driver, offering them words of solace.
Speaking to reporters, Sai remarked, "Naxalites have become frustrated, due to which they have committed such a cowardly act. I pay my tribute to the martyred jawans and the civilian driver."
He reiterated, "The sacrifices of our jawans will not go in vain. They sacrificed their lives to establish peace in Chhattisgarh and in the country. We will, indeed, be successful in establishing peace."
