Nadda’s remarks baseless: Congress

Raipur, June 26, 2013

Sharply reacting to Chhattisgarh BJP incharge JP Nadda’s remarks that Maoism spread in state during former chief ministers of undivided Madhya Pradesh (MP) Motilal Vora and Digvijay Singh, Congress on Wednesday said Nadda was giving baseless statements as he lacked knowledge about rise of naxals in state’s tribal belts. 

“Naxals had not entered MP and Chhattisgarh region during Vora’s regime. During Singh’s tenure, they were qualified to Bastar. However, they ramified during former CM Sundarlal Patwa. They continued to expand their domain when the BJP came to power in Chhattisgarh in 2003. In fact, the Congress had eradicated extremists from Sarguja and Jashpur during its regime in Chhattisgarh from year 2000 to 2003.,” said Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi.

He alleged that the BJP had never tried to deal naxal issue seriously in its over nine-year rule in the state. 

“The BJP won majority seats in naxal-infested regions in past two assembly polls. The ruling party never tried to improve condition in Bastar through development and other factors and it allowed the naxals to grow in the region because it wanted to take political advantage from its inaction,” he charged.

“The May 25-naxal attack on convoy of Congress parivartan yatra was result of co-existence of ruling BJP and naxals in state,” he said.

He pointed that the central funds meant for the development of Bastar went to corrupt hands and the schemes and projects were never implemented at ground level to benefit the tribals. 

He said the BJP won 11 out of 12 assembly seats in Bastar division in 2008 Vidhan Sabha polls but none of its elected legislators visit their respective constituencies. 

He also lashed at CM Raman Singh for ignoring Bastar’s development pointing that union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh had visited the tribal region many more times than that of former.