Congress leader VC Shukla 'critically injured' in Maoist ambush, one killed - The Times of India
Congress leader VC Shukla 'critically injured' in Maoist ambush, one killed
RAIPUR: Senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma has been killed when a group of Naxalites ambushed a convoy of senior Congress leaders at Darbha Ghat section on Jagdalpur-Sukma highway in tribal Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.
Unconfirmed reports said that a former Congress legislator Uday Mudaliyar was also killed in the ambush while senior Congress leader and former Union minister VC Shukla, Sukma's Congress legislator Kawasai Lakma were among the critically injured. There is no confirmation about reports that Chhattisgarh state Congress president Nanndkumar Patel and his close family members were missing and were probably abducted by the rebels.
"Karmaji is no more. We don't have any more details", Karma's close family members told TOI over telephone. However, police and civil officials neither confirmed nor denied reports about heavy causalities in the Maoist ambush.
Senior Congress leaders were on their way to Keshloor from Sukma after attending a parivartan yatra meeting at Sukma when a group of about 150 armed Maoists resorted indiscriminate firing and triggered a powerful blast targeting their convoy. Preliminary reports said a local Congress leader Gopi Madwani was killed.
"We are waiting for confirmation about these reports. I don't have any details", state Congress media cell in charge Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said.
An official spokesman said chief minister Raman Singh has cancelled his Vikas Yatra and is returning to the state capital where he is expected to hold a high level meeting to take stock of the situation.
Unconfirmed reports said Karma, who was prominently known as Bastar tiger, was initially kidnapped for identification and then they pumped 20 bullets after beating him on his head with the gun's butt. There was a cross firing between Karma's guards and Naxalites but when the guards ran out of bullets, Karma surrendered along with few other Congress leaders.
Former MLA Konta, Kawasi Lakhma is said to be safe and admitted to the hospital. He got injured during the firing when the glass of his vehicle's windowpane broke down.
Karma, who had spearheaded the controversial anti-Naxalite movement Salwa Judum which began in June 2005, was already on the Maoist hit list and he had survived several attempts on his life. It is said that more than 150 Naxalites were there firing indiscriminately.
