Jagdalpur, May 28 (PTI) A call for `Bastar bandh’ given by the Sarva Adivasi Samaj (SAS) in protest against an alleged fake encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh evoked mixed response on Tuesday.
As many as 12 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with police near Pidia village in the district on May 10.
Locals including family members of the deceased and some activists claimed that it was a fake encounter and the deceased were not Maoists, allegations rejected by the police and state government.
SAS, an umbrella body of tribal organisations, had asked people to observe a shut-down across the seven districts of the Bastar division on Tuesday.
Business establishments in some cities including Jagdalpur remained closed till late afternoon but the impact of the protest was less visible elsewhere, sources said.
No untoward incident was reported from any part of the region, said police.
The tribal-dominated Bastar division in south Chhattisgarh comprises the districts of Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma.
The SAS wants a judicial enquiry into the incident, said Banga Ram Sodhi, president of its Kondagaon district unit.
“If our demand is not met, the protest will be intensified,” he warned.
The bandh call received good response from all sections of society, particularly traders and businesses, claimed Prakash Thakur, president of SAS’s Bastar division.
The protest was supported by the Jagdalpur-based Bastar Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Shops and offices in Jagdalpur city observed a complete bandh till 2 pm.
The call received similar response in the headquarters of Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and some other districts, but not at the block headquarters, sources said.
Schools and essential services like hospitals, medical stores and ambulances were excluded from the bandh while transport services too remained unaffected.
The main opposition Congress has demanded a probe monitored by a High Court judge in the Pidia encounter. A fact-finding team of the party, headed by former MLA Santram Netam, found that two of the deceased were active as ‘sangham’ members of the Maoists while others had no links with Naxalism, the party claimed.
Responding to Congress’ allegations, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma stated that those killed in the Pidia encounter had cases registered against them, many of them during the previous Congress regime. PTI COR TKP KRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.