Congress to submit report on Maoist violence to PM

RANCHI - The Jharkhand Congress will submit a detailed report of party workers falling prey to Maoist violence in the state to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress has set up a five-member panel to prepare a detailed report of Maoist violence and its impact on Congress workers. The panel was asked to prepare the report on the party situation in Jharkhand after an inter state offensive against Maoists known as Operation Green Hunt was launched last month.

Last month, the CPI-Maoist issued a statement saying that Congress leaders would face consequences if Green Hunt continued.

“We have set up a five member panel which will look into the Maoist diktat regarding the Congress party and its impact. The panel will include names of party workers killed by Maoist violence and workers who have quit the party after Maoists issued a threat,” state Congress president Praddep Balmuchu told reporters here Monday.

The five-member committee includes ex-legislator and party spokesperson Radha Krishna Kishore, ex-deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi, Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, Minority Commission chairman Gulfam Mujibi and ex-legislator Niel Tirkey. The committee was set up Sunday.

“The Maoists issued a threat to Congress leaders after the inter-state offensive known as Green Hunt was launched against them in Jharkhand. Our party leader was killed and party workers are being targeted,” said Balmuchu. He held the Shibu Soren government’s soft stand against Maoists responsible for the violence against Congress workers.

Gobardhan Mahali, who was Congress party president of Dhalbhumgarh block of East Singhbhum district was shot dead March 30 by Maoist rebels. Around 20 to 25 ultras belonging to the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) raided Mahali’s house and fired three bullets into his head.

According to Balmuchu, 24 Congress workers have resigned from the party due to the Maoist threat.