Central govt vows payback for Sukma ambush by Maoists
Rajnath says will overhaul strategy, but rules out Army deployment in red zone
The government said on Tuesday it has accepted the challenge thrown by Maoists and hinted at adopting a revised strategy to tackle Leftwing insurgents who killed 25 CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh in one of the bloodiest massacres of security personnel in India.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who visited Chhattisgarh capital Raipur following Monday’s ambush in south Sukma, described the incident as “cold blooded murder” and is understood to have sought visible action against the rebels within two months.
The midday attack in the insurgency hotbed of Bastar is the worst since Maoist rebels -who claim to be fighting for land rights of marginalised tribal communities – killed 75 CRPF troopers in the same region in 2010.
“It is an act of desperation. We have accepted it as a challenge. We will review the strategy and if necessary we will revisit it,” the home ministry quoted Singh as saying.
He also called a meeting of 10 Maoist-affected states on May 8 to review measures to tackle what is described as India’s biggest internal security threat.
Speaking to reporters in Raipur, the minister called the ambush a “desperate attempt” to block development and said the government had taken the strike as a challenge.
“The naxals (Maoists) won’t succeed…we will revise and renew our strategy at a meeting on May 8,” he said after paying homage to the CRPF personnel at a wreath-laying ceremony.
In Delhi, home ministry officials ruled out army deployment in the Maoist-affected areas saying it was an internal security matter that it will be handled by police and paramilitary.
This is not the first time the government has ruled out using the army against the Maoists. The army had also voiced concerns over any such deployment though Air Force choppers provide logistical support to security forces on ground.
Sources said Singh asked acting CRPF chief Sudeep Lakhtakia and its former chief K Vijay Kumar, who is now a security adviser with the home ministry, to stay in Chhattisgarh and come up with a revised strategy to counter Maoist.