JOIN USShah campaigning with film stars as Naxals struck: Congress
Congress on Monday kept up the attack on Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that he did not respond to the ambush of security forces by naxalites in Chhattisgarh and continued his election campaign Tamil Nadu.
Congress leaders claimed that the operation against naxalites in Bijapur-Sukma region was being carried out under direct supervision of the Security Advisor to the Centre, a former CRPF chief who has a direct hotline to the Home Minister, was present at the site.
“It is the responsibility of the Home Minister to put an end to naxalism. … He was busy campaigning in elections in Tamil Nadu and Assam when security forces were being martyred in Chhattisgarh,” Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
“The attack on security forces took place at 11:00 am on Saturday, but their leader was taking part in a roadshow in Tamil Nadu with a film actress,” he said referring to the poll campaign of Kushbu Sundar, who quit the Congress recently and joined the BJP.
Asked about Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s presence in Assam for the poll campaign, Surjewala said the fight against naxalites was a Centre-led exercise with the state government playing an assisting role.
“The Home Minister can do road show with film stars, hold public rallies, be in three different states, not come back to Delhi and then do as a great favour by canceling the last two rallies in Assam and not be held accountable or not to be asked questions, I don’t think so, that should be the yardstick in this country,” Surjewala said.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the operation against naxals in Chhattisgarh was “incompetently” executed and “poorly designed”.
“Our jawans are not cannon fodder to be martyred at will,” Rahul said and demanded that every soldier be given body armour for protection.
“No Indian jawan should face an enemy without body armour in the 21st century. It needs to be made available to every soldier,” the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad said.