1 hour ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
neither Nadda elaborated on the alleged conspiracy nor did he name anyone. (File Photo)
In a sharp attack on the Congress, Union Health Minister and BJP president J P Nadda Monday alleged that “some people in the Congress were involved” in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack by Maoists in which senior Congress leaders were killed during campaigning in Bastar region ahead of the 2014 Assembly elections.
At a public rally ‘Janadesh Parab’ (people’s mandate festival) in Janjgir Champa district to mark two years of the CM Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government, Nadda said that during his tenure as the party’s Chhattisgarh in-charge, “… I saw the Jhiram Ghati incident. 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. If the protector himself becomes the oppressor, what will happen to the common people of Chhattisgarh?”
However, neither Nadda elaborated on the alleged conspiracy nor did he name anyone.
Moving on to the subject of development work undertaken by the Sai government in the state that had suffered for decades due to Naxalism, Nadda credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for nearly ending the menace in the state. Shah has set a deadline of March 2026 to eradicate Naxalism from the country.
More than 503 have been killed in Chhattisgarh in the last two years. This year, 284 Maoists were gunned down, including 255 in the Bastar region. Last year, 219 Maoists were killed in the state, including 217 in the Bastar region.
Nadda said, “Nearly 2,500 Naxalites have surrendered in the last two years, 1,853 have been arrested, and top leaders such as Hidma and Basavaraju have been neutralised.”
On May 25, 2013, Maoists attacked a convoy of Congress leaders during the party’s ‘Parivartan rally’ in Bastar district, killing 32 people, including then state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla.
Story continues below this ad
MLA Kawasi Lakhma survived the deadly attack with conspiracy theories swirling as to how he came out alive. However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which investigated the case, did not find any evidence of conspiracy against the six-time MLA.
In January this year, Lakhma was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged liquor scam, which took place when he was the excise minister in the then CM Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress state government.
Responding to Nadda’s allegation, former CM Baghel said security agencies should interrogate Nadda to know the full details of the alleged plot, and condemned the Union minister for “insulting” the “martyrs who lost their lives in the Jhiram incident”. “First of all, security agencies, including the NIA, should interrogate J P Naddaji and demand evidence for his claims. We have lost our leaders in Naxal attacks. By alleging collusion, you are insulting their martyrdom,” he said.
Baghel also alleged that BJP tried to stall the investigation into the attack by going to courts. “When there was a Congress government in the state and we wanted to find out who were the conspirators, why were you stopping the investigation by filing petitions in the courts? Why did you not want the conspirators to be identified? Now that the alleged attackers of Jhiram are in custody, will they be interrogated about the conspiracy?”
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
English (US) ·