NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 30 launched a sharp attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing the Congress leader of supporting Maoists “throughout his political career.”
Shah also slammed Rahul Gandhi for reposting a video of a protest at India Gate during which slogans were raised in support of dreaded Naxal leader Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in Andhra Pradesh in November last year.
“When Hidma was killed, slogans were raised on India Gate that ‘Kitne Hidma maroge, har ghar se Hidma niklega’. Rahul Gandhi tweeted that video. How can they escape? They have supported Naxalism since 70s till now. Congress party left wing ideology is responsible for the death of 20,000 people,” he said while replying to the debate in Lok Sabha on efforts to free the country from red terrorism.
Hidma was involved in several Maoist attacks in India over the past two decades, including the 2010 Dantewada massacre in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed, and the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack in the Sukma district in which 27 Congress leaders, including former Chhattisgarh Minister Mahendra Karma, then Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and former External Affairs Minister Vidya Charan Shukla. The dreaded Naxalite was also linked to the 2017 Sukma ambush, in which 37 paramilitary personnel were killed. Due to his alleged role in these attacks, authorities had announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for information leading to his capture.
Shah further accused Gandhi of ‘meeting’ with Naxals and their sympathisers on numerous occasions, alleging that several Naxal frontal organisations participated in the Congress leader’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“Throughout his long political career, Rahul Gandhi was seen on numerous occasions with Naxals and their sympathisers. There is a record showing that several Naxal frontal organisations participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. In 2010, in Odisha, he shared a stage with Lado Sikoka (Naxal leader). From that very platform, Sikoka delivered an inflammatory speech and even garlanded Rahul Gandhi,” the Union Home Minister said.
Shah further held the Congress “responsible for the death of 20,000” people by supporting Naxalism since the 1970s.
“They have supported Naxalism since 70s till now. Congress party’s left wing ideology is responsible for the death of 20,000 people,” he said.
Amit Shah further targeted the senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram over his remarks after the deaths of 76 soldiers in a Maoist attack in Dantewada in 2010.
“After 76 six jawans were killed, Chidambaram said, ‘We can’t ask you (naxals) to lay down arms because we know you won’t do it because you believe in armed liberation struggle’. How has this country been run?” Shah said.
The senior BJP leader said that the government had set the target of eliminating Naxalism by March 31 this year, and he can say with confidence that “we have become Naxal-free”.
“We had set a target to make the region Naxal-free by March 31st. After the entire process, I’ll inform the nation. However, I can state with absolute confidence that we’ve indeed become Naxal-free,” he said. (ANI)
