MODI ACCUSES CONG OF BACKING ‘URBAN NAXALS’

Describing Maoists as "monsters with evil mindset", Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday accused the Congress of backing "urban naxals" who, he said, were "remote-controlling" the Maoist insurgency in this region and ruining the lives of poor tribals.

The Congress hit back at Modi and accused him of indulging in his "trademark petty politics" and seeking to hide his "abject failure and weak-kneed" approach to fighting Naxalism. The party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also reminded Modi that the Congress lost over 25 of its leaders to Naxal attack in 2013.

Addressing his first election rally in insurgency-hit Bastar district in pollbound Chhattisgarh, Modi also said the Congress was making "fun" of Adivasis. Bastar goes to vote on Monday as part of the first phase of the two-phase Assembly polls.

Urban naxals is a term used to describe city-based supporters working in alleged front organisations of proscribed Maoist outfits.

Modi's comments came a day after four civilians and a CISF jawan were killed when suspected Naxals blew up a bus with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district in a fresh wave of Maoist attacks, reports PTI.

Modi also said that voting for anyone aparat from the BJP would be a "blot on the dreams of Bastar".

Going all out to denounce the Maoists, Modi said they were destroying schools and not allowing doctors to treat people.

"Those who are giving guns in the hands of kids in place of the pen are actually monsters with evil mindset. They are destroying schools and not letting doctors perform their duty," the prime minister said.

He also went on to allege that "urban naxals" were remote-controlling the Maoist insurgency in the region.

"The urban Maoists, who live in air-conditioned homes in the cities and whose children study abroad, remote control Adivasi children in Naxal-dominated areas," Modi said.

"I want to ask the Congress why it supports urban Maoists when the government takes action against them," he added.

He asked people to vote for the BJP and ensure that it wins all seats in Bastar, adding that "if anyone else wins, it will be a blot on Bastar's dreams".