Maoists thumb nose at Buddhadeb again

When Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was making tall claims of wiping out Maoists from West Midnapore at a mass rally at Debra in the district on Sunday evening, the Red Brigade was taking positions for a guerrilla attack on security forces in nearby Gidhni forest at Jamboni.

The Maoists struck at 5.30pm, 15 minutes after Bhattacharjee finished his programme nd left, killing four Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) jawans and looting their arms and mmunition.

Bhattacharjee, who was on a two-day visit to West Midnapore, escaped with an embarrassment. District police said the slain jawans were part of the combined forces posted in the jungle and were patrolling a local market when they came under the sudden attack.

Eyewitnesses said the unsuspecting jawans were standing outside a tea stall when the guerrillas came from behind and began heavy firing. The jawans tried to retaliate but failed. The Maoists fled into the nearby forest with the same speed that they appeared.
Earlier, Bhattacharjee alleged that the Trinamool Congress was helping Maoists spread to newer areas.

“The Maoists have started setting up bases in areas that were earlier out of bounds for them. Who is helping them? No one else but the Trinamool. That is why the railways did not name the Maoist-backed People’s Committee against Police Atrocities and its leader Chhatradhar Mahato in the FIR against the capture of  Rajdhani Express at Bashtala,” he said.

Political analysts said the attack in Gidhni was a reply to Bhattacharjee’s tough stand against Maoists of late.