New Delhi, May 30: Congress on Wednesday alleged that BJP and Maoists stood to gain directly from the attack on "Parivartan Yatra", with the objective being to keep Congress from beefing up its base in the Maoist stronghold that was swept by the saffron camp in 2008.
The Congress has decided to boycott Thursday's all-party meeting called by chief minister Raman Singh to discuss security arrangements for political campaigning in Bastar for end-year elections.
Intensifying its assault on the rival, AICC spokesman Bhaktacharan Das said Congress had activated the political process in the region which was liberating tribals from the fear of Maoists while scaring BJP that it would have a challenge in Bastar in the end-year polls. BJP won 11 of the 12 assembly seats in the region in 2008.
"The question is who will gain from this attack ... There is a Maoist-BJP nexus for mutual benefit," Das said, adding, "How low can a person stoop for political gains."
It marked the second day of Congress officially alleging Chhattisgarh government's hand in the bloodbath that appeared aimed at taking out its state leadership ahead of polls. Having sought the CM's resignation, AICC asked why he had not owned up for the attack yet.
The bid to ratchet up pressure seems aimed at undercutting the BJP stalwart's reputation on governance front, aware that Maoist menace plays on the minds of voters outside Bastar too.
As Congress trained its guns on BJP, party coordinator for Parivartan Yatra TS Singhdeo rubbished speculation that the route of the cavalcade was changed, calling it an attempt to pass the blame whose trail went right to the top of the government.
Singhdeo, who is MLA from Ambikapur, showed papers submitted to the Sukma administration on May 20 seeking permission for the yatra to prove that the route on the fateful day was the same. He said, "The government is desperately looking to divert the focus because responsibility would be fixed in the investigation."
Comments
Add new comment