Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy on Monday held the Raman Singh Government in Chhattisgarh responsible for the killing of senior Congress leaders in a Maoist attack in Bastar.
"Today I got to know from various sources that the security which is to be provided even to a Z-plus category person like Mahendra Karma was not done. Even the PCC President was not provided adequate security. When the honourable Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh was going on his election tour or even for the purpose of campaign, more than 4,000 policemen were accompanying him," Narayanasamy told mediapersons here.
"Despite the fact that the Central Government has provided more than 34 battalions for the purpose of controlling the Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh, when the Congress leaders were going for the yatra, they were not being provided adequate security," he added.
Tribal leader Mahendra Karma, who led the Salwa Judum anti-Naxal movement in the state, had Z-plus or the most advanced security and was well-versed with standard operating procedures on safety.
Asserting that the country will never bow down before Naxalism, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh yesterday said the government will pursue the perpetrators of the crime with urgency and is committed to bringing them to justice.
"Our leaders, Nand Kumar Patel, Mahendra Karma, Uday Mudaliyar have sacrificed their lives. However, our country will never bow down before Naxalism," said Dr. Singh, while addressing the party workers at Congress Bhavan in Raipur.
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Dr. Singh said the government would take firm action against the perpetrators of violence of any kind.
"We will pursue the perpetrators of this crime with urgency and I can assure the nation that the Government is committed to bringing them to justice. Those who commit such dastardly crimes are working against the interests of peace and development in the area," said Dr. Singh.
"Congress has a history of sacrifices made by its leaders. We have faced challenges. This attack is a challenge for us, but we have to move forward," he added.
Dr. Singh, who along with Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited the hospital where leaders injured in the attack on the Congress convoy in Sukma district were admitted, also announced Rs five lakh each as ex-gratia relief from the National Relief Fund for families of those killed and Rs 50,000 each for those injured in the deadly Naxal attack.
Meanwhile, a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) will today begin its probe into the Chhattisgarh Maoist attack on Congress leaders, which claimed 28 lives.
Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh told mediapersons in New Delhi that an official order formally handing over the case to NIA to carry out the investigation would be issued soon. He also said that the NIA team would leave for Chhattisgarh today.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had earlier said the NIA will probe the Maoist attack on Congress leaders and the Centre has received a go-ahead from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for it. Shinde had also briefed Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh about the decision to hand over the investigation to NIA.
Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Bastar district, killing 28 people including PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 32 others.
Former Union Minister V.C. Shukla injured in the attack is being treated at a Medanta hospital in Gurgaon. His condition is stated to be critical, but stable.