Baghel expresses deep sorrow over death of BJP leader in Naxal attack

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed deep sorrow over the death of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel in a Naxal attack in Dantewada district Tuesday and said the reply of Naxlas' bullet will be given in their own language by security forces.

Talking to reporters late evening, Baghel also refuted BJP charge that a political conspiracy was behind the attack.

"After Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack on Congress leaders, this was another big and highly condemnable attack on parliamentary democracy," Baghel said.

"Who will understand this pain more than us (the Congress) as we had lost an entire generation of our leaders in a major Naxal attack," he said, referring to the Jhiram valley attack in which senior Congress leaders were killed in May, 2013.

"Our government has been winning the confidence of tribal people in the entire state including Bastar. This ghastly act is outcome of Naxals' frustration," Baghel said.

"Naxals do not have faith in democracy. The state has been struggling with the menace of Naxalism from past several years since it was part of the undivided Madhya Pradesh. We again repeat our commitment to our fight to strengthen parliamentary democracy. Reply of Naxals' bullets will be given in their own language. The government will defeat them (Naxals)," the chief minister added.

Refuting the allegations of BJP that the attack is a result of a political conspiracy, Baghel said, "Mandavi was provided full security cover. He was provided additional security of 50 DRG (District Reserve Guard) personnel (during poll campaigning). Neither there was lapse in the security nor any conspiracy.

Mandavi was advised not to go through that route where incident took place. If he had avoided going from that route the incident would not have had occurred, he said.

Police had already informed Mandavi that there was no security in that area. Ahead of the incident, Manadavi had stopped for sometime at a fair held in Shyamgiri village on Tuesday and probably his location was disclosed to naxals there only, the CM said.

Baghel will visit Dantewada to take a stock of law and order situation on Wednesday. He will also take part in final rites of Mandavi there.

Meanwhile, BJP General Secretary and state in-charge Anil Jain termed the incident as a political conspiracy and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe over it.

Accusing the Congress government of protecting Naxals, Jain said in a statement, The incident is a political conspiracy. It should be probe by the CBI.

Mandavi, the MLA from Dantewada seat, and his four security staff were killed as Naxals blew up their vehicle, two days before polling for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections is held in the state.

Dantewada falls in the Bastar Lok Sabha seat which will go to polls in the first phase on April 11.