RAIPUR: Over 200 people were taken hostage by Maoists ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada on Saturday. The incident took place near Jiram valley – around 60 km from the site where the Prime Minister addressed a public meeting. This was where in 2013, Maoists had massacred a convoy of Congress leaders.
Last night, around 11 pm, a group of Maoists came to Marenga village. They rounded up the villagers – barring senior citizens, women and children — and took them away, said the Station House Officer of Tongpal, Avinash.
Contradictory claims were made on Saturday over the hostage situation in Sukma district of the state where Maoists were said to have seized the villagers during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to adjoining Dantewada.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Sukma, Harish Rathore had said that anywhere between 400 and 500 villagers were “taken away” to the jungles by the rebels opposing construction of a bridge, while Inspector General of Police, Bastar region, R P Kalluri, called it a “fiction” created by the media, PTI reported.
The Maoists have been opposing construction of a bridge on a river near Marenga village that they apprehended would facilitate increased mobility of security forces during operations against them.
The report quoted ASP Rathore telling, “A large number of armed cadre stormed into Marenga and adjoining villages under restive Tongpal police station limits late last night and took away 400-500 villagers, including women and children, along with them.”
Kalluri, on the other hand, said, “The hostage situation is a fiction created by the media…Yesterday, some Maoists came to the village where bridge construction is underway and they have taken five-six labourers who were working on the bridge.
“As is the usual practice, some villagers of Marenga and nearby villagers have gone to the jungle to speak to the Maoists, negotiate and bring these five-six labourers back…but reports of 500-600 villagers held by Maoists is total fiction,” he said.
Security forces are combing the forests around Tongpal to rescue them. Meanwhile, Modi, who is on a visit to the neighbouring Dantewada district, said there was no future for violence in democracy.
Talking about the rally, the chief minister said that, “The programme was successful. He also wanted to see the development in the region. He had a good interaction with children. There were around 800 children present.”
The PM has appreciated the work in the state. He was impressed with the improvement in regions like Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma,” Singh added. The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate a slew of development projects in south Bastar region, worst-hit by the Naxal menance, during his day-long stay in Chhattisgarh.
Bureau Report
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