Agnivesh demands judicial probe of Dantewada incidents

     Raipur, March 27, 2010: Eminent Human Rights activist Swami Agnivesh today demanded a judicial probe into the series of incidents took place in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, starting from arson in Tadmetla and other villages allegedly by police to attack on him and journalists near Dornapal yesterday.

     “The entire happening from March 11 to 25 should be probed by a retired Supreme Court Judge,” Agnivesh told reporters here.

     Showing five huge stones in the press conferences, he said they were targeted with this but by the grace of the God he was saved.

     “By the grace of the God we are saved, otherwise we would have been lynched,” he claimed and blamed the Salwa Judum for the attack on him.

     When he, Rishi Milind of Art of Living  were proceeding towards Tadmetla, Timmapuram and Morpalli villages with relief materials, he and the journalists accompanied him were stopped near Dornapal on yesterday and attacked.

      Looking into the condition he had to return back to Sukma and after speaking to the Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, he was provided adequate security with Additional SP D S Maravi as in charge to proceed to the villages.

     However, they were stopped again on the same spot and the unruly mob tried to open the door of his vehicle, he said adding they would have been lynched had the door opened.

     Stones were also thrown, but somehow they managed to return back from that area, he said and demanded a judicial probe into the series of incident.

     After returning from Dantewada, Agnivesh said he met the Chief Minister today and demanded suspension of S R P Kalluri saying his transfer to Sarguja was not enough.

     For an independent probe, Kalluri be suspended and FIR should be lodged against him, he demanded.

    The Chief Minister should also take responsibility of the entire incidents in Dantewada, he said.

      Interestingly, he also demanded cancellation of the transfer of R Prasanna from Dantewada.

      Kalluri has been transferred to Sarguja yesterday where as District Collector Dantewada Prasanna and Commissioner of Raipur Municipal Corporation Om Prakash Choudhary would swap position as per the government order yesterday.

     Replying to a question, Agnivesh said Salwa Judum has become Frankenstein’s monster and a more critical problem than the Maoism.

     A meeting of various organisations has been convened at Raipur on March 29 to decide the next course of action, he said.