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Banned outfit Communist Party of India-Maoist Tuesday claimed responsibility for the massacre of Congress leaders in Bastar region and demanded immediate suspension of all operations against it across the country.
"The aim behind this attack was to kill Mahendra Karma and other Congress leaders. During the two-hour long gun battle between commanders of CPI-Maoist and security forces, some innocent people and low-level Congress workers were killed.
"They were not our enemies but they lost their lives. We express regret over their death and offer our condolence to the bereaved families," said Gudsa Usendi, spokesperson of 'Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee' of CPI-Maoist, in a statement.
He accused slained leaders Karma, architect of Salwa Judum (people's movement against naxalism) and Nand Kumar Patel, Pradesh Congress Chief of corruption and implementing anti-people policies in Chhattisgarh.
The outfit accused senior Congress leader V C Shukla, who sustained serious injuries in the attack and at present undergoing treatment in a hospital in Gurgaon, of playing an "active role" in framing pro-industrialist measures in the state.
"Karma, who has been called a tribal leader, is from a feudal family of Manjhi caste. His family has been traditional oppressors of the tribals," Usendi said in the statement seeking to justify the killing.
Twenty seven people including the PCC chief and his son were killed and 32 others, including Shukla, were injured in Saturday's naxal attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, considered as hot-bed of left-wing extremists.
Both the Congress and BJP got together to start Salwa Judum to launch barbaric offensive (against Maoists). "Salwa Judum has become a bane for people living in Bastar region. Lot of atrocities were carried out against innocent men and women in the name of this movement...Karma himself led some of the movements of Salwa Judum in villages," the statement said
Through this attack we have taken revenge on behalf of people who were made to suffer in the name of Salwa Judum, it said.
"Soon after the attack Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh have termed it (killing) as an attack on democratic values. BJP President Rajnath Singh asked all to rise above politics to fight against Naxalism and terrorism. We ask do they have any moral right to take the name of democracy and democratic values?
"Recently, eight people including three children were killed by police and paramilitary forces on May 17 in Bijapur district in an encounter. Why none of them thought of any democratic values at that time," Usendi alleged and cited some more incidents in which tribals were claimed to be killed by security forces.
"CPI (Maoist) appeals to all people to immediately call off Operation Green Hunt and take back all security forces deployed there. Army should not be deployed in Bastar region in the name of training. All leaders languishing in jails should be immediately released.
"Strict legislations like Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Chhattisgarh Special People Security Act should be repealed. All memorandum of Understandings with corporates to exploit natural resources should also be cancelled," Usendi added.