Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh will visit Chhattisgarh on Wednesday and meet the family members of Congress leaders Nand Kumar Patel, Mahendra Karma and others killed in the Maoist attack last Saturday.
"Looking to the gravity of the naxal attack and naxal problem, Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh and other leaders are going and visiting the place of naxal attack plus visiting the families of the victims and at the same time condole the deaths. He will also discuss the issue with the state government and will give his full reaction from Raipur itself," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told Asian News International (ANI) here.
"We are a responsible party and therefore we have said that this is a national issue, it's not an issue related to one state and it requires a national solution. And it's the Government of India's duty to come out with a clear-cut policy and message so that the concerted efforts can be made and the naxal challenge can be met," he added.
Javadekar also lashed out at the ruling Congress Party at the Centre for politicising the entire issue.
"We have not gone into a slugfest with the Congress as the Congress wants to politicise the issue. They made do any propaganda outside. But what the state is feeling and the state's common people and particularly tribals what they are feeling about this attack, Congress should actually look to that perception. And therefore, we are not entering into any slugfest today," said Javadekar.
"After our President's visit, after his reaction, from tomorrow if required we will debate the issue," he added.
Congress Party has demanded the resignation of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh charging his government with failure to maintain security that led to the gunning down of senior party leaders by the ultras.
Raman Singh had earlier this week ruled out the role of the army in fighting naxal violence in Chhattisgarh, and admitted that security lapses led to the attack on the Congress leaders by the ultras.
Chhattisgarh Government, which has ordered a judicial probe into the incident, last night suspended the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bastar District and shunted out Bastar range Inspector General (IG) of Police and Collector.
Superintendent of Police Mayank Shrivastava has been suspended, while Inspector General of Police Himangshu Gupta was shifted to police headquarters. Bastar Collector P. Anabalagan has been shifted to the state secretariat.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun its probe into the brutal attack by the Maoists on Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh.
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 37 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.
