'Rahul Gandhi must clear his stand on Maoists': Amit Shah after Raj Babbar terms Maoists as 'revolutionaries'

Following the remarks of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar on the Maoists attack in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, BJP Chief Amit Shah has hit out at Congress for terming Maoists as ‘revolutionaries’. While addressing an election rally in Chhattisgarh, BJP president Amit Shah stated the various meaning of revolution for the people, urging Congress president Rahul Gandhi to change his party’s definition of ‘revolutionary’.

“A Congress leader yesterday said that Maoists were engaged in an act of revolution. This is not revolution. Revolution will happens when people will have basic amenities in life like cooking gas in their home. Revolution will take place when tribals will have electricity in their homes. Rahul baba must change his definition of revolution. I want to ask the Congress chief to make his stand clear on the Maoists. Your leader called it a revolution. What is your stand? Killing poor tribals and CRPF officers and hampering developmental activities are not signs of revolution,” said Amit Shah.

Earlier, Congress leader Raj Babbar, while addressing a press briefing, referred to Maoists as 'revolutionaries' while suggesting that the 'crisis in Chhattisgarh will not be resolved by bullets but through talks'.

“Which government? Is there even a government here? There is government run by Gujaratis and Mumbaikars. This government is for their benefit only. I must clarify one thing, the issue cannot be solved with those (Maoists) revolutionaries by indulging into violent activities. We have to address their questions. You cannot stop those revolutionaries by increasing fear in their minds or bribing them. This is opinion and I have already suggested it to my party," Raj Babbar had said.

These remarks by the leaders of BJP and Congress party have come in the wake of the recent Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, which saw 3 CRPF personnel and a Doordarshan News video journalist being martyred.

READ: Security Personnel And Video Journalist Killed In Ambush By Maoists In Chhattisgarh's Dantewada

Meanwhile, assembly elections are scheduled to take place Chhattisgarh in two phases. While the first phase in will take place on November 12, polls will go into the second phase on November 20 in the east-central state.