Naxal attack on Congress leaders 'suicidal': CPI(ML)

Strongly condemning the Maoist attack on Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, the Communist Party of India(ML) has said that such an action would result in perpetuating more state violence on the poor tribals.

The May 25 attack on the Congress leaders returning after a Parivartan rally was a "suicidal" act, which would only lead to more state terror against tribal masses, CPI(ML) state secretary Badri Prasad said in a statement issued on Sunday night.

"Such 'anarchist' action by Maoists would only tarnish the image of Naxalbari uprising of landless peasants of North Bengal in 1967 for land and social change and people's struggles led by them in different states," Prasad said.

It was quite clear that the present attack leading to killing of many Congress activists including top Chhattisgarh leaders would be used by the ruling system to further intensify para-military assault to wipe out Maoists from their strongholds, he said.

It was totally illogical on the part of Maoists to think that by killing (Mahendra) Karma, they can take revenge against Salwa Judum or other atrocities against tribals and other oppressed sections of the society, he said.

If Karma took initiative in launching the Salwa Judum, it was the BJP-led state government and central forces which later implemented it, the CPI(ML) leader said.

Besides, the Maoist attack like many of their earlier actions would be used by the Congress-led coalition government to describe all communist revolutionaries as supporters of BJP, Prasad added.

Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Sukma district, killing 27 people including PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 32 others, including former Union Minister V C Shukla.