Team News Riveting
Jagdalpur, April 5
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hinted that the operations against the Left-Wing Extremists (LWE) would intensify and the recent Bijapur attack would give it a “decisive turn”.
Shah today morning landed here and paid tribute to the 22 jawans who laid down their lives after Maoists ambushed security personnel in Bijapur. He later chaired a high level meeting of central and state security officials to take stock of the situation. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was also present.
Talking to reporters, Shah said the sacrifices of the security personnel would always be remembered for taking this battle to a “decisive turn”. He added: “I want to assure the country that this fight will not be stopped, rather it will continue with more intensity till the end. In this fight, our victory is definite in the end.”
Shah said in the last few years, the fight against Naxals had reached a decisive turn and this (Bijapur) unfortunate incident had taken the fight two steps ahead.
Shah said during the review meeting with the chief minister and personnel of various security forces, officials themselves suggested that the intensity of this fight should not be affected and that showed the morale of the forces was intact and high.
Shah said in the last five-six years, they have achieved success in setting up camps of security forces in the interior areas. “Both the central and state governments have been jointly making inroads (into Maoist strongholds). Therefore, such incidents come to fore out of their (Maoists) frustration,” he said.
On the development front also, several works have been done, though due to the coronavirus their pace got slowed down a little, he added.
He said the central and state governments have been working on both fronts – to expedite the development works in tribal areas and to intensify action against the extremists.
The Union Home Minister is also scheduled to visit Basaguda camp of the CRPF in Bijapur where he would have interaction and lunch with the CRPF and state police personnel.
He will later go to Raipur and visit three hospitals where the injured personnel are admitted. Shah will leave for Delhi at 5.30 pm on Monday