'Insult of martyrs': Truck was clean, says Raman

As an outrage over transporting the bodies of four slain policemen in a garbage truck erupted, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Wednesday claimed the truck was 'clean' and that no disrespect was shown to them.

The Opposition Congress demanded a probe into the incident while the family of the victims said use of garbage van to transport the bodies is an 'insult' to the men in uniform as well as the country.

Singh denied allegations of disrespect being shown towards the victims of the Maoist attack. The four personnel, including an inspector, were killed by Maoists on Sunday in a landmine blast targeting their vehicle in Dantewada district.

"Collector has specified it clearly that it was a new truck, it was cleaned and decorated with flowers. They were given farewell with respect. It was a new truck, a multi purpose truck," Singh said.

"Once the collector has specified it, there is nothing more to say," he said.

However, state Congress has termed the incident as "very unfortunate" and demanded an inquiry into it.

"The incident of carrying bodies of the policemen in garbage vans is shocking and the errant officers must be punished. Chhattisgarh is one such state in the country where martyrs are being insulted," state Congress president Nand Kumar Patel said, demanding that the state government order a probe into the incident within 24 hours.

Patel said such occurrences affect the morale of policemen and their relatives and it was "regrettable" that the state government was "unable to honour the jawans".

"How can police insult their own martyrs? This is an effort to malign image of the police," Dantewada district SP Ankit Garg said, denying the allegations.