A political storm erupts in Chhattisgarh after BJP chief JP Nadda alleges Congress “insiders” aided the 2013 Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack, triggering a sharp counterattack from ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel.
A political storm has erupted in Chhattisgarh after BJP national president JP Nadda alleged that “insiders” within the Congress played a role in facilitating the deadly 2013 Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack, drawing sharp backlash from former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who accused Nadda of insulting the martyrs of the incident.
The exchange has reopened old wounds linked to one of the bloodiest attacks in the state’s political history and triggered a fresh war of words between the BJP and the Congress over accountability, investigations and the handling of Naxalism.
Nadda Alleges Congress ‘Insiders’ Helped Naxals
Addressing the ‘Janadesh Parab’ event in Janjgir-Champa district on Monday to mark two years of the Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government, Nadda launched a scathing attack on the Congress, claiming that the Jhiram Ghati ambush was facilitated by people from within the party.
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“I witnessed (developments related to) the Jhiram Valley incident. Today, I want to say with great responsibility that no one else was providing information and inside details about the Jhiram Valley incident; it was people from within their own ranks who were involved in getting their own people killed and were in contact with the Naxalites,” Nadda said.
Using a sharp metaphor, the BJP chief added, “If the horse befriends the grass, what will it eat? When the protector becomes the predator, what will happen to the common people of Chhattisgarh?”
Nadda said he was BJP in-charge of Chhattisgarh at the time of the 2013 attack and claimed to have closely followed the developments related to it.
Reminder of a Tragic Day in Bastar
On May 25, 2013, Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders during the party’s ‘Parivartan Rally’ in the Jhiram Valley of Bastar district ahead of Assembly elections. Thirty-two people were killed, including then Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, senior leader Mahendra Karma and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla.
The attack sent shockwaves across the country and remains a defining moment in Chhattisgarh’s political memory.
Baghel Hits Back, Accuses Nadda of Insulting Martyrs
Former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel reacted strongly to Nadda’s remarks, accusing him of insulting the sacrifice of Congress leaders killed in the attack.
“Today, the BJP’s national president has once again insulted the martyrs who lost their lives in the Jhiram incident. First of all, security agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), should question JP Nadda and demand proof of his claims,” Baghel said in a post on X.
“JP Nadda ji! We lost our leaders in the Naxal attack. By making allegations of collusion, you are insulting their martyrdom,” he added.
Baghel also questioned the BJP’s intent, alleging that when the Congress was in power in the state between 2018 and 2023, attempts to probe the conspiracy angle were stalled due to BJP’s legal interventions.
“You should explain—during the Congress government’s tenure, when we wanted to find out the conspirators behind the Naxalite attack, why were you filing petitions in the courts to stop the investigation?” Baghel asked.
“Why didn’t you want the conspirators to be identified?” he added.
Clash Over Naxalism Record
While asserting that he supports strong action against Naxalism, Baghel claimed that the groundwork for weakening Left-wing extremism was laid during his tenure.
He also hit back at the BJP’s long rule in the state before 2018.
“Your government was in power for 15 years. Why didn’t you eliminate Naxalism then? At that time, Naxalites were carrying out massacres, killing tribals, and 700 villages were emptied,” Baghel said, tagging Nadda directly.
BJP Claims ‘Double-Engine’ Crackdown on Maoists
Nadda, meanwhile, credited the “double-engine” BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai for taking decisive action against Maoism.
He claimed Naxalism has now been confined to a limited number of villages and districts in Chhattisgarh.
“Nearly 2,500 Naxalites have surrendered in the last two years, 1,853 have been arrested, and top leaders such as Hidma and Basavaraju have been neutralised,” Nadda said.
He alleged that previous Congress governments had maintained an “understanding” with Naxalites, while the BJP confronted the menace head-on.
Investigations, Reports and Unanswered Questions
After the 2013 attack, Bastar Police registered an FIR and the NIA later took over the investigation, filing a charge sheet in September 2014. The then BJP government also constituted a judicial commission headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra.
The commission submitted its report to the Governor in November 2021, but it was never made public. Baghel had earlier claimed the report was incomplete and questioned why it was submitted to the Governor instead of the state government. In 2022, the Chhattisgarh High Court stayed the commission’s proceedings following a plea by BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik.
