Gadchiroli massacre: Sena targets Mah Home dept

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02 February, 2009 08:49:15

The Shiv Sena Tuesday held Maharashtra Home Secretary Chitkala Zutshi responsible for the "callous" approach to law and order in the state that led to the recent barbaric killings of 15 policemen in Gadchiroli by Naxalites.

An editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana said the Gadchiroli massacre, after the November 26 Mumbai attacks, had once again shown total inefficiency and irresponsible attitude of the state home administration towards the law and order problems affecting both common people and security personnel.

"No help reached the 15 policemen who were ambushed by the Maoists as the emergency helicopter in the difficult terrain could not be pressed into service due to a lapsed contract," it alleged, adding that the state Home department was in the hands of a woman (Zutshi) who was more interested in "going places and swimming".

"Chitkala Zutshi is free to pursue her hobbies. But she should have been aware of the hardships being faced by police doing their duty in the Naxal infested region of Gadchiroli," the editorial said, claiming that the Home department had not even bothered to pay premiums for insurance of policemen.

"After the November 26 Mumbai attacks, Maharashtra Home minister R R Patil had to resign. But Zutshi, who is a 'Special' secretary, has all along been protected and has remained unaffected," it said.

The paper also condemned the State Director General of police Anami Roy saying he would be quick in passing on the buck to the Anti-Naxalite cell, disowning his own role in law and order scenario.

"Roy was in the hiding when the Mumbai attacks took place because according to him, fighting terrorists was responsibility of the ATS," the paper said.

"Since the Gadchiroli killings involved poor policemen in Naxal dominated remote area, and did not happen in the five star hotels, media coverage will last a couple of days and there will not be any candle lighting at the Gateway of India," the editorial said.