Chhattisgarh polls: Maoists plan to target VIPs, rallies through suicide bombers

Raipur, October 23

Following the vestige of terrorist outfits across the globe, the Maoists are planning to target VIPs and public rallies through their newly trained suicide bombers during the hustings in Chhattisgarh. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has reportedly alerted Chhattisgarh police about this development and asked to frame proactive strategy to thwart any such attempt of the insurgents.

According to information, the naxals have used expertise of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to prepare 41 suicide bombers. The LTTE members reportedly imparted rigorous training of suicide attack to naxals in the forests of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The LTTE is said to have pioneered suicide bomb jackets. It was also the first terrorist outfit which used females as suicide bombers.

Highly placed sources in police headquarters admitted that the ultras had chalked out plan to attack star campaigners of the political parties this time. “The naxals aim to specifically target public rallies as they have already asked tribals to boycott elections,” they said.

With beginning of October, the naxals intensified their activities in Basar hinting that they would not allow peaceful conduction of polls in the region. They had even pasted posters of PM Manmohan Singh, CM Raman Singh and other leaders with caustic comments in certain villages. After the poster episode, the police escalated searching operations in those areas.

Notably, the first round of polls will be held in 12 assembly constituencies of Bastar division and six of Rajnandgaon district on November 11. The Maoists have presence in almost 14 of these constituencies.

Having faced obloquy once earlier this year for its intelligence failure that resulted in May 25 naxal attack on Congress leaders in Darbha region under Bastar division, the state home department does not want the history to repeat again and hence, taking IB report seriously, has instructed state intelligence bureau and other intelligence agencies to keep an eye on naxal activities.

DGP Ramnivas has appealed to the political parties to provide comprehensive information about their public rallies and movements in Maoist-hit areas in advance so that the police could make security plan for them accordingly.

Sources informed that the police will also constitute several road-opening parties to prevent ultras to lay ambush on roads when political parties will start their campaign.

It is learnt that about 450 companies of paramilitary forces will reach Bastar division by next week. Already, 41 battalions are present in the region to counter naxal movements.