New Delhi: Strongly condemning the killing of of the Maharashtra Police by the naxalites in Gadchiroli on Wednesday, the Congress asked Prime Minister Modi to own up responsibility for his government”s complete failure in fighting the naxalism.
In a statement, party spokesman Pawan Khera regretted the Modi government deeply politicizing the sacrifices of jawans with “fake chest thumping” and “acronym building” but going mute when such cowardly attacks take place. He asked Modi to take responsibility about the growing menace of Naxalism resulting in 391 jawans were martyred and 582 civilians lost their lives in 1086 naxal attacks in the past five years.
Noting that the state authorities had definite intelligence inputs of the naxals announcing to carry out such an attack, he asked: “Why couldn’t the Modi government assist the Maharashtra government in securing the area?” Khera said the overall picture of the naxal attacks further expose the tall claims by PM Modi and the BJP. He also reproduced the compilation by the South Asian Terrorism Portal on the naxal attacks continuing unabated.
He pointed out that 97 jawans were martyred and 127 civilians killed in 185 naxal attacks in 2014, 56 jawans martyred and 89 civilians killed in 170 attacks in 2015, 60 jawans martyred and 122 civilians killed in 262 attacks in 2016, 76 jawans martyred and 109 civilians killed in 199 attacks in 2017, 73 jawans martyred and 108 civilians killed in 217 attacks in 2018 while even in the first four months of 2019, 29 jawans were martyred and 27 civilians killed in 53 attacks.
The Congress spokesman also said the PM and the Home Minister should share the blame for not implementing the Rs 1000-crore package announced by Modi after the 2017 Sukma attack for security in the naxal-infested areas. Meanwhile, PM Modi strongly condemned the attack, saying those responsible will not be spared even as the Congress party slammed the Centre for “failing to secure the country”.
BJP President Amit Shah also condemned the Maoist attack. “We have received the news that Naxals (Maoists) have orchestrated an attack on our security forces in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli. Many security personnel got killed and injured in the attack.
