Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel, responded to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) allegations of removing the security of their leaders, stating that it is “absolutely wrong.” Baghel added that despite BJP leaders Kedar Kashyap and Mahesh Gagda losing their elections, they still have been given Z plus security. Meanwhile, former CM Raman Singh, who never even goes to Naxal-affected areas, has more security than that of the Chief Minister, and is under the protection of the National Security Guard (NSG).
Baghel also pointed out that it was the BJP who removed the security of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi. He further emphasized the importance of security for all political parties, instructing the Director-General of Police to hold a meeting with all the Superintendents of Police to inform them to tell all the political parties and other parties in Naxal-affected districts to inform the police before going somewhere.
In response to BJP’s remark about target killing in Bastar, Baghel acknowledged that some BJP leaders had been killed, which he deemed unfortunate. However, he stated that the way Naxals are entering the house and killing personally means that they have become weak and are making their presence known.
On the matter of his meeting with Chhattisgarh former governor Anusuiya Uikey, Baghel congratulated her on her appointment as the new governor of Manipur. He highlighted her experience and praised her for her behavior during her three-and-a-half-year tenure in the state. Regarding the issue of reservation, Baghel claimed that Uikey wanted to sign it within an hour, but was not allowed to do so by the BJP, including Raman Singh, who did not want the youth of the state to benefit from reservation.
Baghel further criticized the BJP, accusing them of using a pool of lies and stating that they have not helped tribal people reclaim any land. He also claimed that the BJP government in its 15 years of power in the state had looted the public and that it was not a double-engine government, but a trouble-engine government.
