BJP worker killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh ahead of assembly polls in the tribal area.

RAIPUR: BJP worker and tribal leader Birju Taram was shot dead by unidentified individuals in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district. The incident occurred in Sarkheda village, and suspicions of Maoist involvement have arisen. Locals and family members suggest that a local troublemaker, who had clashed with the BJP worker in the past, could be involved. Birju Taram, aged 53, was the deputy president of the BJP’s farmers’ wing and had previously served as the general secretary of the Manpur division. The incident took place after Taram had returned from a public rally and was performing rituals at a temple. He was walking outside his house when three individuals on a bike opened fire on him, killing him instantly. The police have arrived at the scene and are investigating the incident, including the possibility of Maoist involvement. However, local sources have contradicted this theory and pointed towards a known troublemaker who had previously desecrated the idol of goddess Durga at the temple. Locals and family members of Birju Taram have gathered in protest, demanding the arrest of the suspect. Former chief minister Raman Singh expressed concern over the law and order situation in Chhattisgarh and compared it to West Bengal. BJP President Arun Sao called the killing a “targeted killing” and vowed that the party would not back down. The Mohla-Manpur constituency is one of twenty constituencies going to the polls in the first phase of the assembly elections on November 7. This incident adds to a series of targeted killings of BJP workers in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, raising concerns about the security situation in the state.