The Union home minister Amit Shah rushed back to New Delhi from Assam after the killing of 22 security personnel in a Maoists’ attack on Saturday (April 3).
Shah was to deliver three election rallies in Assam on Sunday. But he flew back to the national capital after addressing only one in the morning. Sunday is the last day for electioneering for 40 seats in the third and final phase of polling in the state. According to reports 14 personnel of Chhattisgarh Police and eight of Central Reserve Police Force were killed in an anti-Naxal operation on the border of Bijapur and Sukma districts of the state. Twelve of them sustained injuries, while one CRPF personnel is missing.
Media reports suggest that at least 10 Maoists were also killed. The body of a dead woman Maoist was found on Sunday.
Amit Shah vowed that strict action would be taken against the Maoists. He said that combing and search operation is going on in the state and nobody would be spared. He even talked to the Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel over phone.
Baghel told media persons that the exchange of fire lasted for four hours when CRPF and Chhattisgarh Police launched a joint operation. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed condolence over the death of 22 security personnel.
Reports also said that as many as 750 Maoists were involved in the clash which lasted for several hours. They also used rockets and grenades against the security personnel.
In the last few years, the number of Naxal violence in Chhattisgarh had receded. But in the recent months they have once again started regrouping and organising themselves. It bends to be mentioned that on April 6, 2010 as high as 76 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoists. Similarly, 55 CRPF personnel were killed in March 2007.
