35 security personnel killed in attack on CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh on Jan 16: Maoists

Kothagudem: The CPI (Maoist) central regional bureau has described the January 16 PLGA attack on the CRPF Dharmavaram camp in Pamed area of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh State as “unprecedented”.

Its spokesperson Pratap in a statement released to the media on Monday claimed the attack was a “befitting reply to the recently launched ‘Operation Kagaar-Surya Shakti’ by the Brahmanical Hindutva fascist rulers to eradicate the Maoist movement and to the ongoing onslaught on adivasis”. The PLGA fighters along with thousands of revolutionary masses executed the raid. In the three-hour raid, the guerillas fired more than 600 grenade launcher shells and other country-made grenades with rapid firings on the CRPF camp, he said.

Pratap claimed that as many as 35 security personnel were killed and more than 40 were seriously injured. Prior to the raid, the guerillas took the entire periphery of the camp under their control. The locals disabled the movement of additional forces by blocking the roads with huge tree logs and the militia kept landmines to attack the incoming forces. A Maoist Commander Devalu, battalion member Vikram and People’s militia member Madkam Devalu were killed during the raid. Police officials, the State and Central governments were silent regarding the raid and trying to keep the details of casualties on their side in darkness, he alleged.

Police barricaded the total area, not allowing the journalists to cover the facts and figures of the raid. Thousands of police were deployed in Bastar division, particularly Narayanpur district to establish several new advanced base camps. In order to keep their morale high the higher officials were hiding the facts, Pratap said. Another reason for hiding the facts was the newly elected BJP government in Chhattisgarh feared the opposition parties’ criticism towards its failure to tackle the Maoists. The Centre also feared that the attack might divert public attention from Ram Janmabhoomi temple consecration, he alleged.

The BJP government was hiding the facts in view of the upcoming 2024 general election and to preserve its power at the Centre, Pratap added.