MP: Congress MLAs stage walkout from assembly demanding inquiry into Mandla-encounter

BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): Congress legislators staged a walkout in the Madhya Pradesh assembly to mark their protest against the Mandla-encounter issue on Tuesday, calling it a fake encounter and demanding a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

The Congress MLAs demanded that Rs 1 crore compensation should be given to the family of the tribal man killed and a government job to the family. Responding to the demand, State minister Narendra Shivaji Patel said that an inquiry should be conducted and further action will be initiated accordingly.

Thereafter, the Congress leaders expressed displeasure over the response and walked out from the assembly. During this, they also raised slogans to stop tribal brutality, demanding justice to the tribal family.

“We have demanded the State government for Rs 1 crore to the innocent tribal (killed in encounter) and a job. Such fake encounters happened before as well; a person named Jam Singh was killed in Balaghat and no job was given to the family. Now, we demand from the government that the matter should be investigated by the retired judge of the High Court,” Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar told reporters.

The Congress leader further claimed that after giving Rs 10 lakh to the family from the Chief Minister’s assistance fund, the government is saying to conduct a probe whether the killed person was Naxal or not.

“When Rs 10 lakh has been given from the CM’s assistance fund, now the government is saying that they will conduct a probe whether he was a Naxal or not. So, didn’t you (govt) give Rs 10 lakh to an innocent tribal? Did you give them to any Naxal? When it is clear and the people of the village are saying that it was innocent tribal then, the government should immediately give Rs 1 crore and a job to the family,” Singhar said.

The state BJP government avoids the tribals, they want to take tribal votes but don’t want to give assistance funds, he said.

“We demand that the CM should immediately give assistance funds and a job to the family. The Congress party also demands that the state BJP government should be sensitive to that family,” he added.

Meanwhile, state minister Narendra Shivaji Patel said that the Congress party only wanted to create an uproar in the assembly and a magisterial inquiry was ordered into the matter.

“Congress only wants to make an uproar. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident about which the Congress tried to create the uproar and the government is investigating the matter and standing with the people concerned. We have said in the House that first of all an investigation would be done whether there was any Naxal connection or not. If there was no Naxal connection, then the government will definitely provide government jobs to the family members and if required, we will also provide Rs 1 crore,” Patel told reporters.

When asked about whether Rs 10 Lakh announced to the tribal family be revoked if a Naxal connection was found, the Minister said, “Not at all, if a person is involved in any crime, it does not mean that his family should be abandoned. The society and the government should be worried about taking care of any citizen of our country. Therefore, showing sensitivity, CM Mohan Yadav has given Rs 10 Lakh.”

Notably, on March 9, a joint operation by the district police, Hawk Force, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) led to an encounter with Naxals in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district, resulting in the recovery of one body and the arrest of two Naxal supporters who came to give rations to Naxals.
The encounter occurred in the Kanha National Park forest on March 9, after security forces received intel from an informer. (ANI)