Naxal attack: Shinde speaks of joint action, Greyhound forces

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who today reviewed the anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh in his first visit here after the May 25 attack, said the Central forces and state police would launch joint action in Bastar area in the days to come.

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who on Friday reviewed the anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh in his first visit here after the May 25 attack, said the Central forces and state police would launch joint action in Bastar area in the days to come.

He had an hour-long meeting with chief minister Raman Singh and senior officials at Raj Bhavan.

Naxal attack in south Bastar on May 25 killed 27 persons including state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and senior leader Mahendra Karma.

"After a discussion over the incident, we have decided to take a joint action," said Shinde. "Chief minister Raman Singh told me that this time we will not put any demand (to Centre), except we want support. Central forces will support the state in joint operation."

"Every Naxal-affected state should develop Greyhound force (on the lines of Andhra Pradesh) to combat Naxals. Centre would offer help in this area," he added.

State home minister Nankiram Kanwar, union home secretary RK Singh, CRPF Director General Pranay Sahay and Chhattisgarh DGP Ramniwas were among those who attended Friday's meeting.

While admitting to security lapses that apparently led to the ghastly attack on the Congress convoy on May 25, the home minsiter said the ongoing investigation will reveal everything.

"In the preliminary investigation it seems that there are security lapses, but enquiry will further reveal it," said Shinde.

Reacting to queries on speculations over conspiracy theories behind the macabre attack, the union minister said that the incident should not be politicised.

"So far we were thinking that this (violence) would be some other way of movement. But in 2010 incident (Tadmetla massacre in which 76 security personnel were killed) and May 25 (attack on Congress rally) we have seen it is nothing other than a terror (activity)," he added.

Earlier on Friday, Shinde visited the family members of slain state congress president Nand Kumar Patel at Nandeli in Raigarh district, 220 km east of Raipur and assured them of full support and justice. Later he returned to Raipur and met the injured persons admitted in a private hospital.

Besides the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the incident, the Chhattisgarh government has also constituted a judicial commission to look into it.