A senior Chhattisgarh police official said, the Maoists led by commander of the the South Bastar divisional committee, Deva abducted over 500 villagers from Marenga, Tipanpal, Banapara and Patelpara villages in Tongapal police station.
Maoists created a grim hostage situation in Sukma district on Saturday coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the left wing insurgency affected district of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh to initiate key MoUs for setting up heavy industry.
A senior Chhattisgarh police official said, the Maoists led by commander of the the South Bastar divisional committee, Deva abducted over 500 villagers from Marenga, Tipanpal, Banapara and Patelpara villages in Tongapal police station.
Sources, however, said it was wrong to link up abduction with PM Modi’s visit as it happened over building of a bridge, in fact, a culvert.
Though the Maoists had given a call for a two-day bandh in Dantewada region and appealed to villagers to boycott PM’s visit that aims to give industrial push to the backward region, the abduction that took place on Friday evening was not connected with PM’s rally.
“The Maoist were, in fact, against the building of the culvert as they thought it would make the movement of security forces easier, while the villagers led by village Pradhan (head) of Marenga village wanted the culvert to be build over Jiram river to facilitate easy access to other villages,” said sources.
Putting conflicting claims made by Chhattisgarh police to rest, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh admitted later in the day that Maoists had abducted about 200 to 250 villagers from a few villages in Sukma and efforts were being made by the local administration for their release.
“Around 200-250 villagers have been abducted and 4-5 others (locals) are negotiating their release. There is no confusion...the local administration is making efforts for their release,” he said.
In his constituency Lucknow, union home minister Rajnath Singh said the efforts were on to rescue villagers.
Earlier additional superintendent of police, Sukma, Harish Rathore claimed 400 to 500 villagers being taken away to the jungles by the rebels opposing construction of a bridge. Inspector General of Police, Bastar region, R P Kalluri, however, dismissed it a fiction created by the media and stood ground that only 5 to 7 villagers have been abducted by the Maoists.
“A large number of armed cadre stormed into Maringa and adjoining villages under restive Tongpal police station limits late last night and took away 400-500 villagers, including women and children, along with them,” ASP Rathore said.
Former home secretary, R K Singh, now a BJP MP, said Maoists targeted the villagers after security was thinned out in adjoining areas due the PM’s visit.
Around 10,000 paramilitary forces, apart from armed and special forces of Chhattisgarh, involved in anti-Maoist operations, were part of the security measures for PM Modi.
Carrying on with his pre-scheduled programme in Dantewada Modi said there was no future for violence in democracy.
“Only plough on shoulders can bring development, not guns…The macabre drama of death will end soon. It is only a matter of time,” he said urging the Maoists to shun violence and join the path of development.
Aim of Modi’s visit was to preside over signing of an MoU for setting up of the ultra-mega steel plant at Dilmili village that will fetch the state a direct investment of more than Rs 18,000 crore and is ecpected to generate employment for over 10,000 people.
Another MoU was for the second phase of a 140km railway-link between Rowghat and Jagdalpur, connecting Bastar with important cities of the state like Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg. The rail link will also help in easy and cheaper transportation of iron-ore for industries.
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