Raipur (Chhattisgarh): A political slugfest between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Chief Minister Raman Singh has intensified over the 'Bastar model'. BJP's Raman Singh said that the law and order situation has gone for a toss in the state. "The State government does not give orders to forces to carry out operations in Maoist-infested areas.
"The State government had failed to contain extremist-related violence in the state. The day the Chief Minister makes an announcement, we see some untoward incident the next day," said Singh, adding, "The Bastar region was reeling under Maoist activities. Four BJP workers were killed in the Bastar region. When BJP was in power in the state, camps were set up in remote areas to wipe out left-wing extremism."
"Though there was an intra-party rivalry in the state Congress, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi came to Chhattisgarh from New Delhi to clarify that everything is under control," Raman Singh pointed out. Rebutting Raman Singh charges, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, said, "During Raman Singh's time Maoists were ruling the roost. Tourists were hesitant to visit the region. Innocent tribals were pushed behind bars. Youths were disoriented. Fake encounters and IED blasts were common features in the Bastar region when Raman Singh-led BJP government was in power in the state."
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"Our Congress government in Chhattisgarh in the past more than four years worked for improving the condition of tribals. BJP's Raman Singh government had taken forest lands belonging to the tribals. Our Congress government helped them in restoring their forest land rights," Baghel pointed out.
