26 Naxals arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district
Bijapur (PTI): At least 26 Naxals, six of them carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 13 lakh on their heads, were arrested from separate places in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Thursday, police said.
Eight Naxals each were apprehended from Awapalli and Usur, four from Tarrem and three each from Gangalur and Bhairamgarh police station limits, an official said.
The District Reserve Guard of the local police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units were involved in the operation, he added.
Of the arrested Naxals, Munna Potam carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh on his head and was active as a member of Battalion Number 1 of the outlawed Maoist outfit.
Rama Kaka was the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (DAKMS) president and carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. Both Potam and Kaka were held in Usur area.
Janatana Sarkar president Mani Madkam alias Gola Mandi was held from Tarrem police station limits. He carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh.
Arjun Atami alias Guddi, a militia section commander, and woman cadre Payko Madvi alias Soni alias Tokdi, a party member, were nabbed from Bhairamgarh area, the official said. The two carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads.
Krishna Podiyam, nabbed from Awapalli police station limits, was a militia section commander and carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh.
An IED, `cooker bomb', tiffin bomb, wire, safety fuse, detonator multimeter, electric wire and a battery besides earth digging tools and Maoist banners, posters and pamphlets were recovered from the arrested Naxals, said the police official.
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TMC's reign of terror prevails in West Bengal: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of party worker Debdeep Chatterjee allegedly by TMC goons, and said his party will not bow before this politics that stains India's non-violent tradition.
Chatterjee was brutally murdered in Asansol during post-poll violence. He was closely associated with Asansol North Congress candidate Prasenjit Puitandi, the party claimed.
The worker was attacked and beaten by those linked to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress and succumbed to injuries shortly thereafter, the West Bengal Congress alleged.
"The murder of Congress worker Debdeep Chatterjee by TMC-affiliated goons after the elections is utterly reprehensible. My deepest condolences to the grieving family," Gandhi said in a post on X.
"In West Bengal today, it is not democracy but TMC's reign of terror that prevails. Intimidating, attacking, and eliminating opposing voices after votes are cast -this has become the defining character of TMC," Gandhi also said.
He said the Congress' politics has never been based on violence, nor will it ever be.
"We too have lost our workers, yet we have always chosen the path of non-violence and the Constitution. This is our legacy, this is our resolve. "The demand is clear -immediate arrest of all the guilty, the harshest punishment, and grant full security and compensation for Debdeep's family," the former Congress chief said.
"We will not bow before this politics that stains India's non-violent tradition. Justice will be done," Gandhi said.
The West Bengal Congress, in a post on its X handle, said this tragic incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in the state and raises serious questions about the safety of opposition workers in West Bengal.
"The fact that such violence has occurred immediately after polling highlights a deeply disturbing pattern of political intimidation and vendetta," it said.
The Congress stands firmly with the bereaved family and demands immediate arrest of all those responsible for this heinous crime and a fair, impartial, and time-bound investigation. It also said adequate compensation and protection for the victim's family.
"It is deeply concerning that even an FIR had not been registered at the time of reporting, further indicating administrative apathy in the face of such a grave incident.
"The Indian National Congress reiterates that democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of fear and violence. We will continue to raise our voice against such atrocities and fight to ensure justice for every victim," the party said.
The Congress said the murder of Chatterjee by goons associated with TMC is highly condemnable and termed it a direct attack on democracy.
"Democracy in West Bengal has ended, and TMC's reign of terror continues. Silencing and subduing opposing voices through violence has become TMC's hallmark. We demand that the culprits be arrested immediately and given the harshest possible punishment. We will not allow the democracy of our country to be destroyed by these anti-people forces," the Congress said.
