JP Nadda
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: BJP president JP Nadda stirred a row by claiming that the Jhiram Ghati incident in Chhattisgarh took place due to informers from inside. He was indicating that some Congress leaders betrayed their own colleagues. His comments drew a sharp reaction from Congress leaders.
In 2013, at the Jhiram Ghati in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, Naxalites attacked a rally where over 200 Congress leaders were taking part. The attack, which took place via an IED blast and then firing by Naxalites, left over 28 leaders dead and wiped off an entire section of party leaders.
Nadda said that the incident was extremely painful for the country, and that Naxalism was being strengthened by information coming from within. “I want to say with full responsibility. Jhiram Ghati’s incident details and inside information was not given by anyone else but the people among them (Congress) who wanted to get their own people killed and were in touch with Naxals,” Nadda claimed.
He added that conspiracies were being hatched to get one’s own people killed. “When the horse befriends grass, what will it eat. When the protector himself becomes the oppressor, where will the common people go,” he added. Nadda was speaking at a function to mark the two year anniversary of the Vishnu Deo Sai government.
His comments drew sharp reactions from the Congress. Former Congress chief minister Bhupesh Baghel asked the security agencies to interrogate Nadda. “Security agencies, including NIA, should interrogate him and demand evidence for his claims,” Baghel said.
Nadda asserted that Naxalism is now confined to limited villages and districts. “So far, about 2,500 Naxalites have surrendered and 1,853 Naxalites have been arrested. Notorious Naxalites like Madvi Hidma and Basavaraju were also eliminated during this government's tenure. The Congress governments could never achieve this because they followed a policy of friendship and compromise,” he said.