Leaders condemn Maoist attack
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies

New Delhi, May 26 2013: President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday expressed deep dismay and shock over the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on Saturday.

The President said that the nation will not be overawed or intimidated by such actions.

In a statement issued on Sunday Mukherjee said, "I am deeply dismayed and shocked at the wanton violence unlea-shed by Maoists in Chhattis- garh on a convoy of vehicles carrying leaders of the Congress Party.

I condemn this incident in the strongest of terms and would like to reiterate that violence has no place whatsoever in our de-mocratic polity.

The nation will neither be overawed nor intimidated by such action.

I call upon concerned authorities to do their utmost to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.

The safety and security of our citizens should be ensured at all times" .

Mukherjee also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the incident.

Vice-President Hamid An-sari also condemned the attack saying, "All forms of extremism and violence have to be fought and eliminated from our midst" .

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, condemning the incident, said that the country will never bow down before Na-xalism.

He said government will pursue the perpetrators of the crime with urgency and is committed to bringing them to justice.

On his Twitter account he said: "This incident should be treated as an inspiration in our fight against forces of extremism and violence" .

He also announced Rs 5 lakh each as ex-gratia relief from the National Relief Fund for families of those killed and Rs 50,000 each for those injured in the deadly attack.

"Our leaders, Nandkumar Patel, Mahendra Karma, Uday Mudaliyar have sacrificed their lives.

However, our country will never bow down before Naxalism," Singh said while addressing party workers at Congress Bhavan in New Delhi.

In Saturday's attack on the convoy carrying Congress leaders, 27 people were killed and many injured including former Union minister and veteran Congress leader VC Shukla.

Those killed included Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nandkumar Patel, Mahendra Karma, his son Dinesh and ex- Congress MLA Uday Mudliyar.

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