Maoists own up killing of Chhattisgarh BJP MLA

Maoists have claimed responsibility of the killing of Bhima Mandavi, saying the BJP legislator was killed in retaliation to the killing of its cadres in an encounter by security forces and grant of iron ore mining permission to Adani's company in Dantewada.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sainath, banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) secretary for the Dankarnaya Special Zone and Darbha Division Committee also exhorted people to rise against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He alleged that BJP has been "aggressively" pursuing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) agenda of making India a Hindu Rashtra and dividing people on the lines caste, community and religion since it came to power at the Centre.

The banned rebel outfit’s leader alleged that atrocities against tribals have increased since the BJP came to power at the Centre, expressed his reservations to levelling of intellectuals and social activists as "urban Maoists" by the BJP leaders.

"People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) carried out the attack under a meticulous plan with the help of the people and eliminated Bhima Mandavi, who was a Hinduism fanatic and represented the party whose government killed innocent tribals and our comrades in encounters," Sainath said in a statement on pamphlets thrown in the interior areas of the Maoist stronghold of Dantewada district.

Besides, Bailadila deposit number 13 was given to Adani’s company after holding a meeting of "a fake gram Panchayat," he said.

"The mining work is going to start here even though over 20,000 tribals and non-tribals protested against it on March 2," Sainath said.

The PLGA, after killing Mandavi, his three private security officers and a driver in a land mine blast on Wednesday, took possession of their arms and ammunition, he added.

Police said that despite having prior intelligence on the blast, Mandavi went ahead with his travel plans. Maoists had used at least 50 kg of explosive to trigger the blast near Nakulanar village in Kuwankonda block while the BJP legislator was on his way to hold a poll campaign in a nearby area.

While the senior leaders of the BJP in the State openly accused the Congress of playing a role in the killing, Congress leaders categorically dismissed it. BJP national general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Chhatisgarh Anil Jain demanded a CBI probe into the incident.