In Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada, Naxalites attack BJP convoy, MLA Bhima Mandavi among several killed 

Team Suno Neta Tuesday 9th of April 2019 07:39 PM
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The site of the Maoist IED attack. (Photo via Twitter)

New Delhi: Naxalites attacked a convoy carrying BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and several party activists in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, on Tuesday. The MLA, his driver and three security personnel were killed in the attack while several others have been reportedly injured.

The deputy inspector general of police (anti-Maoist operations), P Sundar Raj, confirmed the attack and the casualties, while talking to reporters. According to initial reports, the death toll in the deadly attack is expected to rise.

The attack took place in the Maoist hotbed of Dantewada. This comes just two days before the first vote is cast in the region for the Lok Sabha election.

According to reports, the Naxalites triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) when the convoy was passing through the Nakulnar area in the Dantewada district. Dantewada superintendent of police Abhishek Pallav told reporters that police advised the BJP MLA not to visit the area.

The police officer also informed that after the IED blast, a gunbattle between the Maoists and the security personnel escorting the convoy took place for around 30 minutes. He also added that there were five more security personnel in a car following Mandavi’s car in the convoy and they are missing. Pallav said efforts were on to locate them.

Bhimaram Mandavi. 

Bhimaram Mandavi, 35, was a Bharatiya Janata Party member of the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly. He represented the state’s Dantewada constituency. In the December 2018 assembly election, Mandavi defeated Congress’s Devti Karma and Bahujan Samaj Party’s Keshav Netam. He was one of the just 15 BJP MLAs who were elected an election that saw the BJP losing power after 15 years in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted condoling the death of Mandavi. He said he was “deeply anguished” by his killing. The prime minister also said Mandavi’s death will “not go in vain”.

Tuesday’s attack on the BJP convoy brings back memories of the May 2013 deadly Maoist attack on a Congress convoy in the Bastar region. The attack had killed several prominent Congressmen from the region, including former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and former Chhattisgarh minister Mahendra Karma.

High alert in Odisha

Following the attack in Dantewada, neighbouring Odisha sounded a high alert in its districts bordering Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. According to the police, the SPs of Maoist-prone districts have been asked to remain on high alert and take all possible measures to prevent the repetition of such an incident.

The Odisha Police has also warned election candidates not to venture out alone at night and inform the police prior to their movements.


 
 

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