Chhattisgarh police ask political leaders to inform travel plans in Maoist areas

Three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were killed by suspected Maoists in the last 10 days in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region

In the wake of recent killings of Bharatiya Janata Pary (BJP) leaders in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, the police have urged political leaders to provide beforehand details of their travel plans in the Maoist affected areas, officials said on Wednesday.

The Bastar police organised a meeting of all political parties on Tuesday. (Representative Image)

Bastar police claimed that the information of the movement of leaders will help them to provide the needed security. A meeting of all political parties was organised by the Bastar police on Tuesday, officials said.

“The meeting was to sensitise the office bearers of the political parties about the safety protocol to be followed during political rallies/meetings/movement in the Naxal-affected areas,” said inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P.

The officer further said that district officers of Bastar were asked to get the information of movement of political leaders beforehand in order to ascertain the security and safety status and to provide the needed security cover.

“The move comes in the light of at least three killings allegedly carried out by Maoists targeting office bearers of BJP leaders in Bastar. Earlier also during the movement of political functionaries in the Maoist- affected area, police used to ensure adequate security arrangements by means of area domination and other procedures,” he added.

The officer further said that it is the responsibility of police to create a peaceful and safe environment in Bastar region.

“In the last few years, we have gained a lot of ground in the erstwhile stronghold areas of Maoists. Our efforts in this direction would continue by overcoming the challenges being posed by the naxal formations,” he added.

Three BJP leaders were killed by suspected Maoists in the last 10 days in the Bastar region.

On Saturday, suspected Maoists killed former sarpanch and BJP functionary Ramdhar Alami, accusing him of being a police informer and of siphoning money in connection with the Bodh Ghat project.

Earlier on February 5, mandal president Neelkanth Kakkam was shot dead by Maoists in Awapalli area of Bijapur district.

On February 10, BJP’s Narayanpur district vice-president Sagar Sahu was shot dead in Chhote Dongar.

BJP national president JP Nadda, who visited Sahu’s house and his family members on Saturday, hit out at the Congress government over increased attacks by Left-wing extremists on his party leaders in the poll-bound state, and asserted that his party would fight the “ideological battle” with Maoists in a democratic manner and win it.