Bastar tribals protest against ‘drone attack’; cops say there wasn’t any strike

Raipur: A large number of tribals staged a protest near Bodkel village in a forest region on the Bijapur-Sukma district border on Wednesday, demanding a probe into an alleged ‘drone attack’ on Maoists in their area on the intervening night of April 14 and 15. Police have denied any sort of ‘drone attack’.
After two days of dharna, people of ten villages organised a massive protest on the third day to protest against the ‘drone attack’.
A few days ago, some local residents had collected metal shards that they claimed were parts of ‘bombs’ dropped from drones at several places.
The protesters pasted posters on trees against the ‘drone attack’ and raised slogans against minister Kawasi Lakhma, who represents the Konta (ST) constituency in Sukma district, accusing him of overlooking the interests of the local people.
The Maoists had also issued a press statement, accusing security forces of using drones to drop bombs on their hideouts in Pamed in south Bastar.
They even alleged that the Army and Air Force were involved.
However, Bastar range IG Sunderraj P denied the allegations. “It is part of the propaganda by the Maoist leadership to mislead the local population with an unrealistic hope of regaining their lost ground in Dandakaranya.
The reality is that due to their own inhuman and anti-development actions, Naxals have become unpopular among the native population and are on the verge of extinction,” he said.