Tag: naxals

DD channel cameraman, 2 policemen killed in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Doordarshan team covering Chhattisgarh polls was accompanied by a police team
  • 2 injured police personnel are undergoing treatment at Dantewada district hospital
  • Several Union ministers condoled journalist’s death and condemned the Naxal ambush

One mediaperson and two policemen were killed after Naxals carried out an attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada. Two other security personnel were also injured in the attack, which took place in Dantewada’s Aranpur area.

The mediaperson who died was Achyutananda Sahu, a cameraman with the state-run broadcaster Doordarshan. The two policemen were with the district force.

“Those killed were identified as sub-inspector Rudra Pratap, assistant constable Mangalu and DD News cameraman Achyutananda from Delhi,” Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) Sundarraj P told news agency PTI.

The Naxals ambushed a squad of local police which was carrying out patrolling on motorcycles from Sameli camp towards Nilawaya on Tuesday morning, he said.

A three-member team of Doordarshan was travelling for election-related news coverage at the same time and was caught in the cross-fire, he said.

Achyutananda Sahu was part of the team that included a reporter and a light assistant.

Teams of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) were immediately rushed to the forest to trace the ultras, the DIG added.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh police personnel injured in the attack, Vishnu Netam and Rakesh Kaushal have been referred to Raipur from the district hospital in Dantewada where they were undergoing treatment.

Condoling the death of Sahu, the director general of Doordarshan said, “Our hearts go out to the families of our brave cameraperson Shri Achyutananda Sahu and CRPF Jawans who laid down their lives in the line of duty.”

View image on Twitter

Prasar Bharati, which supervises Doordarshan, too condoled the cameraperson’s death in a separate tweet.

Soon after, Doordarshan put out a statement saying, “The entire DD News family salutes his service and stands by his family in this hour of grief.”

The minister information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore too condoled Sahu’s death. “Deeply saddened by the demise of our cameraman Achyuta Nanda Sahu and two jawans… These insurgents will NOT weaken our resolve. We WILL prevail,” Rathore said in a tweet.

Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal followed suit and said, “Pained and angered at the Naxal attack on CPRF jawans and DD News crew in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. I strongly condemn such a cowardly and dastardly act.”

The Doordarshan team was in Nilawaya village in Aranpur, where voting will be held for the first time in history.

Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases on November 12 and 20.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: RSS has been taken from their official website.

Three Naxals gunned down by security forces in Chhattisgarh

Three Naxals were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, police said.

The skirmish took place around 9.30 am in the forest near Madpal village under Mirtur police station limits when a team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Bijapur Superintendent of Police, Mohit Garg told PTI.

“After getting the information that a group of Naxals was holding a meeting to chalk out strategies to disrupt the next month’s assembly elections, a squad of DRG was dispatched to the area,” he said.

After spotting the security forces near Madpal, located around 450 km away from capital Raipur, the ultras opened fire on them that led to the gun-battle, Garg said.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: RSS has been taken from their official website.

Chhattisgarh: 16 Naxals including 2 women arrested from Sukma district

Sixteen Naxals, including two women, were arrested from Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Sunday, five of whom have been suspected to be involved in a deadly attack on a CRPF team last year, killing 25 CRPF personnel, police said on Monday.

The arrests were made by a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the district police, from a hill near Minpa village under the Chintagufa police station limits, said a senior police official.

The security forces have intensified patrolling in the interior forests of the Naxal-hit districts, in view of Assembly polls in the state next month.

The patrolling is aimed at apprehending the lower-rung cadres, who are instrumental in planting explosives to target the police personnel and putting up Maoist posters and banners, he said.

The cadres who have been arrested were active members of either some militia groups, or the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan (DAKMS), a front organisation of Maoists, he said.

Chhattisgarh will go to the polls in two phases, on November 12 and November 20.

The counting of votes will be done on December 11.

 

 

Disclaimer: RSS has been taken from their official website.

Amit Shah: Congress colluded with Maoists to retain power in Chhattisgarh

Targeting the Congress ahead of the state Assembly polls over various issues, Shah challenged the opposition party to an open debate on its development track record.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Friday accused the Congress of forging “ties with Naxals” to remain in power in Chhattisgarh before 2003.

The BJP government in the state had succeeded in containing the Maoist menace, Shah said, addressing a tribal convention at Narharpur in the insurgency-hit Kanker district.

Targeting the Congress ahead of the state Assembly polls over various issues, he challenged the opposition party to an open debate on its development track record.

The convention marked the conclusion of the Atal Vikas Yatra campaign launched by Chief Minister Raman Singh to highlight the achievements of his 15-year rule.

“Chhattisgarh once reverberated with the sound of bullets…. I have no hesitation in saying that the earlier Congress government (before the BJP came to power in the state in 2003) had forged ties with Naxals to stay in power. We broke that nexus and cracked down on Naxals.

“Entire Chhattisgarh is gradually getting rid of Naxalism and heading on the path of development,” Shah said.

When Chhattisgarh came into existence, it was dubbed as one of the “Bimaru (backward/sick) states and despite being in power for the initial three years, the Congress did nothing to boost its economic growth, he alleged.

The Congress did nothing to maintain law and order, curb Naxalism, eradicate hunger and uplift the forest-dwellers, despite being in power for 55 years at the Centre, the BJP chief said.

“Atalji (then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) founded the state and Raman Singh developed it,” he said.

Shah mentioned the 24-hour power supply, road connectivity in the interior villages, purchase of forest produce at a minimum support price and other development works as some of Singh’s achievements in the last 15 years.

He slammed the Congress over a scandal triggered by the circulation of a “sex CD”, purportedly featuring state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat. Munat has filed a case against state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel for allegedly trying to malign his image by circulating the CD.

“The BJP will be contesting the polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Singh, but I want to ask Congress president Rahul Baba (Rahul Gandhi), who will lead the Congress? Will it be those who shamefully manufacture fake CDs for character assassination?” Shah asked.

“Are you (Gandhi) going ahead with a leader, who allegedly indulged in character assassination through fake CDs for seeking the mandate in Chhattisgarh?”

“Our mothers and sisters here are waiting to settle the score over the CD issue and rout the Congress,” he said.

The BJP never indulged in the politics of “chaturai” (cunningness), Shah said.

He challenged the Congress to a debate on the work done during Modi’s four-year rule and Raman Singh’s 15-year tenure as against the opposition party’s “55-year rule”.

“People have two options in the coming polls. The first is the Congress which only talked about ‘garibi hatao’ (remove poverty) but removed the poor instead, while the other is the BJP, which, without raising slogans, ensured power supply to every house, provided houses for all, built toilets and gave bonus to the Tendu leaf collectors,” Shah said.

Earlier, after arriving at the Raipur airport, Shah flew in a helicopter to Sihawa, the origin of the Mahanadi river in Dhamtari district, where he offered prayers at the Mahamai Temple at Farsia village.

Shah’s visit to Sihawa and Narharpur is being seen by political observers as an attempt to woo the tribal population of Chhattisgarh.

The Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in the state later this year.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: RSS has been taken from their official website.