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Chhattisgarh : In a tragic turn of events, Maoists in Chhattisgarh claimed the life of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, marking the eighth such killing in the state since last year. The victim, identified as Tirupati Katla, was a member of the Janpad Panchayat, and the incident occurred as he was returning home from a wedding in Toynar village.
Tirupati Katla, residing in Bijapur headquarters, had traveled approximately 15 kilometers to attend a wedding in Toynar village. On his way back around 8 pm, a small action team of Maoists launched an attack using sharp weapons, fatally injuring the BJP leader. Despite being rushed to the district hospital in the headquarters area, Katla was declared dead.
This marks the eighth killing of a BJP leader by Maoists in Chhattisgarh since last year, with Tirupati Katla becoming the first victim in 2024. The persistent violence has raised concerns about the safety of political figures in the region.
The wave of violence against BJP leaders in Chhattisgarh includes the December 2023 killing of Komal Manjhi in Narayanpur district and the November murder of Ratan Dubey, a BJP poll coordinator in Narayanpur. Other victims include Birjhu Taram in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in October, Kaka Arjun in Bijapur district in June, and three murders in February – Neelkanth Kakem in Awapalli, Sagar Sahu in Narayanpur, and Ramdhar Alami in Abujhmad.
The series of targeted attacks has prompted condemnation, and concerns persist about the safety of political workers in the region. The incident underscores the need for enhanced security measures to curb the escalating violence and protect political representatives in Chhattisgarh.
