'Naxal attack political conspiracy, CBI must probe it'

BJP president Amit Shah Friday described the recent Naxal attack in Dantewada, wherein a Chhattisgarh BJP MLA was killed, as a "political conspiracy" and sought a CBI probe into it.

Addressing an election rally in Dongargaon town in Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency, he also sought to know whether Congress chief Rahul Gandhi supported National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's demand for having a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir.

"Our MLA Bheema Mandavi was killed in the Naxal attack. I pay my tribute to him and pray that the departed soul rests in peace. It was not a normal incident and it seems to be a political conspiracy," Shah said.

"Mandavi's wife has demanded a CBI probe into the attack. If the chief minister (Bhupesh Baghel) do not want to hide anything, he should get the incident probed by the central agency. A neutral probe should be carried out into the attack," he said.

On April 9, Mandavi, an MLA from Dantewada, and four police personnel were killed when Naxals blew up their vehicle with an IED near Shyamgiri village in the district.

Shah also targeted Baghel for banning the CBI from investigating any fresh cases in the state without seeking the state government's consent.

"Why is Bhupesh Baghel so afraid of the CBI? The Raman Singh government had never banned the CBI," he said.

Slamming Omar Abdullah over his demand for separate PM for Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP chief said Kashmir cannot be separated from India till the last BJP worker was alive.

"Omar Abdullah has advocated for a prime minister in Kashmir. Do you think it is possible that a country can have two PMs? They wanted to separate Kashmir from India.

"Rahul Gandhi is silent over it. He should clarify whether he supports or opposes Abdullah's statement," Shah said, adding, "Kashmir cannot be separated from India till the last BJP worker is alive."

Taking a dig at the Congress, the BJP leader claimed sadness gripped the grand old party and Pakistan following the air strikes over terror camps in Balakot in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack.

"During the 10 years of UPA rule, when terror attacks happened, no reply was given. But when Pulwama terror attack took place, the Indian Air Force carried out air strike and demolished the terror camps inside Pakistan," he said.

"When the entire country celebrated the air strike, there was grief in Pakistan and in the office of Congress," Shah claimed.

The BJP has fielded its state general secretary Santosh Pandey in Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency will go to polls in the third phase on April 23.