Mahto case: All party bandh in Jharkhand peaceful

Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Mar 5: The Centre and Jharkhand government today asserted that 'drastic action' will be taken against the Maoists/Naxalites following killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahto near Jamshedpur yesterday.

The Union Government also expected to take a decision by next 48 hours on the Jharkhand government's request for CBI inquiry into the killing of Mahto, who was also JMM general secretary and MP from Jamshedpur.

All political parties today called dawn-to-dusk bandh, in protest the killings. It passed peacefully barrring an incident of burning of a truck at Chandil in Jhaemshedpur.

DGP J B Mahapatra told sources in Ranchi that bandh, more or less peaceful, had paralysed the state.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal, who rushed to the steel city accompanied by his colleague, Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahai to take stock of the situation, said the Centre would take a decision in a day or two on the state government's plea for CBI inquiry into the killing.

Mr Jaiswal said more forces would be sent to the state to fight the insurgents.

As earlier, Chief Minister Madhu Koda did not rule out ''conspiracy'' angle behind the killing of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader, Mr Jaiswal also echoed the same and asserted that an investigation would unearth the fact.

Terming the incident as 'cowardly and brutal,' Mr Jaiswal said the Centre would assist the government on all possible manner to restore normalcy.

Mr Jaiswal, on the demand for imposition of President rule in Jharkhand, said the Centre, if required, would take a decision adding the situation did not arise till now. A report from New Delhi said, the Lok Sabha will adjourn tomorrow without transacting any business as a mark of respect to the JMM MP. The lower house would assemble at 1100 hours and would adjourn after obituary reference by speaker Somnath Chatterjee. The house would also observe two minutes' silence.

The Jharkhand Government has submmited a report to the Union Home ministry on the gunning down of Mr Mahto, which was sought by the Centre yesterday in the context of the fact that how an MP was killed despite having been highly protected.

Mr Jaiswal would return tomorrow and give his report to the ministry.

Governor Syed Sibtey Razi visited Tata Main hospital in Jamshedpur where the body of slain MP was kept, and paid tributes to the departed soul.

In Ranchi Mr Koda had called on the governor to brief him on the situation this morning.

Mr Koda then rushed to Jamshedpur to pay a tribute to the depated soul and called on the breaved family to exprss condolece.

Mr Koda told reporters that joint counter-insurgency operations were launched in co-operation with Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa following the incident.

High alert was sounded in the state immediately after the JMM mp from the Jamshedpur constituency and another party leader Prabhakar Mahto, along with two bodyguards, were shot dead by CPI (Maoist) activists at Baguria village near Naxalite-affected Ghatshila in East Singhbhum district.

In Jamshedpur, bandh supporters squatted on the railway tracks, bringing rail sevices to a complete stop. Shouting anti-Maoist slogans, the activists blocked roads and burnt tyres at Adityapur, Gamariah and Kandra areas, disrupting traffic, police said in Jamshedpur. The protestors also indulged in stone pelting and damaged several vehicles, after which a police team dispersed them.

Many party activists and leaders gathered at Mahto's house at Gamariah to console the bereaved family members.

Mr Mahto and three others were shot dead at Baguria when the MP was attending a football match as the chief guest.

In political front Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahai joined two senior party mps in criticising the Koda-led UPA government on the law and order situation saying 'corruption and mismanagement' continued to be the root cause of spurt in insurgency in Jharkhand.

The minister of state for food processing who was present at a press conference of union minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal here, said he was not satisfied with the Koda government's performance in tackling the problem.

Earlier, Congress MP from Godda Furkan Ansari had demanded president's rule while his counterpart from Dhanbad Dadai Dubey criticised Mr Koda on the law and order front.

State Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu said the present crisis was the outcome of misuse of funds by the previous Arjun Munda-led NDA government.

UNI