Raipur, March 27: Social activist Swami Agnivesh today demanded a judicial inquiry into the recent “police brutality” in Dantewada and yesterday’s “murderous” attack on him and his other team members as they were on their way to Tadmetla to meet the tribals whose houses were allegedly torched by security personnel following the death of three of their colleagues in an encounter with Maoists in the area.
Describing yesterday’s attacks on the four-member team of civil rights activists being led by him as “pre-planned” by the members of Salwa Judum, Agnivesh demanded that Chief Minister Raman Singh should own moral responsibility for the entire incidents of violence, for security provided to them was inadequate despite his assurances.
“We are alive today only by the grace of the God,” Agnivesh told reporters after returning to Raipur today having failed twice to visit the affected villages yesterday with relief materials in the wake of angry protest by villagers, Salwa Judum members and widows at Dornapal.
Agnivesh, who made the demand for judicial inquiry into the entire incidents of violence at least by a retired judge of the Supreme Court during his meeting with the Chief Minister today, said, “Bastar has become a killing field and Salwa Judum movement against Naxals become the Bhasmasur.” He alleged that Salwa Judum had become more dangerous for Chhattisgarh than the Naxal problem as its leadership had been taken over by wrong people.
Agnivesh also announced that leaders of different “Jan Sangathans” would be meeting here on March 29 to chalk out their future course of action to safeguard the interest of the poor tribals and try to initiate move for peaceful resolution of the naxal problem in the region.
The social activist said he would soon visit Delhi and urge Home Minister P Chidambaram to send an all party delegation to Dantewada where security personnel allegedly shot dead five tribals, raped three women and torched more than 300 houses in three villages on March 12.
–Agencies