Chhattisgarh DGP writes to NIA requesting probe into killing of BJP workers in Naxal-hit Bastar region

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India] February 16 (ANI): Chhattisgarh's Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Juneja has written a letter to National Investigation Agency (NIA) requesting a probe into the killings of public representatives by ultras in naxal-hit Bastar region, said the officials of Public Relations Department.
The cadre of banned outfit of ultras are under utter frustration as the region under their dominance is shrinking continuously, the officer said, elaborating that Naxals are now targeting public representatives out of frustration.
The joint efforts of paramilitary forces and the state police resulted in remarkable successes on the Naxal front, the officer said.
"As BJP leaders think that investigation in Naxal attacks on their workers is not being done properly and they are staging a protest in this regard. Earlier also NIA took over the probe into the case we were investigating. Now when such incidents are taking place, DGP has written a letter to the Director General of NIA requesting to probe the matter so that the people of BJP are satisfied," said Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
In the past couple of days, Naxals have murdered three public representatives in the insurgency-hit districts under Bastar region triggering attack on the state government by the main-opposition party BJP. Dubbing the incidents as political killings, he said that the Naxals and criminal elements are deliberately targeting BJP workers and had demanded an extensive probe in connection with the incidents.
Neelkanth Kakem, president of BJP's Awapalli mandal in Bijapur, was murdered by Naxals on February 5 and on February 10, vice president of BJP in Narayanpur district Sagar Sahu was shot dead by ultras in Narayanpur district while a former sarpanch identified as Ramdhar Alami (43) was hacked to death in Dantewada district on February 11. Amid the recent incidents, Bastar Range IG Sundarraj P had recently chaired a meeting attended by the office-bearers of political parties and briefed them about the protocols to be kept in mind during political rallies, meetings and movement in sensitive areas.
Lashing out at the government over the killing of public representatives, former Chief Minister and BJP national vice president Raman Singh said "within one month, prominent BJP workers were killed in insurgency-hit Narayanpur, Bijapur, Bastar and Dantewada districts. I think the activeness of BJP increases across the state, particularly in Bastar region, making Congress nervous and this (incident of Naxal killings) is a part of a Naxal conspiracy."
This is a part of a conspiracy to impact the elections by terrifying BJP workers, alleged Singh.
Expressing surprise over the letter of DGP to NIA, the former CM said that this is the same Bhupesh Baghel-led government which raised suspicion over the investigation of NIA in connection with the Jhiram incident. At that time Baghel had said that how can a government agency investigate and today, he ordered his DGP to conduct a NIA probe. (ANI)