Cong blames BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh for security lapse in Naxal attack

HomeMin advisory asks states to revamp security of national, regional party leaders

The Congress party on Monday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government of Chhattisgarh for failing to provide security to the Congress leaders who were attacked by Maoists over the weekend.  

Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed squarely blamed the Raman Singh government for failing to provide security, while Union minister of state for home R P N Singh said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would probe whether there were security lapses by the forces or the state government.

“The buck will have to be stopped somewhere,” he said.

A section within the Congress, which had been dealt a severe blow with the killing of its state chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh Patel, party leader Mahendra Karma and former legislator Uday Mudliyar, has been hinting at a possible hand of the ruling BJP in the incident. (State-wise extent of ultra-left violence)

Party spokesperson Ahmed told Business Standard: “Chattisgarh’s BJP government cannot escape the responsibility for the total failure to provide security to the main opposition party of the state for a previously announced political programme.”

The Congress convoy was part of a ‘Parivartan Rally’ in the state, gearing up for year-end assembly polls.

Ahmed said the attack also proved hollow the state government’s claims about clamping on Naxal activities in the region.

The home ministry on Monday issued an advisory to state governments to revamp the security of national and regional political party leaders.

The Centre has already directed an NIA probe into the incident.

For the Congress, which had been rebuilding its party organisation in the state under Patel’s leadership for the past one-and-a-half years, the attack comes as a major setback.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the state, meeting party workers and victims’ families.

The BJP seethed at the Congress attempt to put the blame on the state government’s doorstep.

BJP national general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy demanded that Congress leaders refrain from making statements with political implications.

"This is not a time for a  blame game.” Rudy added, “We can understand the anger, concern and anguish of Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi. But it’s very unfortunate to make statements with political implications at a time of grief.”

The Centre has deployed an additional 2,000 paramilitary personnel in Chhattisgarh at the request of the state government.