RAIPUR: Ahead of elections to the three-tier panchayats in Chhattisgarh, Maoists allegedly killed two former sarpanchs — one of them associated with the ruling BJP — in separate incidents in of Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.The two were abducted before they were killed. Police identified them as Suklu Parsa, who was with the BJP’s Kisan Morcha in Bhairamgarh block, and Sukram Avlam, former sarpanch of Kader village. In their pamphlets, the Maoists claimed that both acted as police informers and helped the police in setting up a security base camp. Bhairamgarh area committee of Maoists claimed the responsibility for killing Parsa. The Maoists also threatened BJP workers in the area with dire consequences and asked them to quit the party, an official said.“The killing of former sarpanchs is an attempt to create an environment of terror among the local people as the Maoists now failed to target the security forces,” said a senior police officer in Bastar.Maoists have killed at least 55 people this year in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, according to police.Civilian casualties in left-wing extremist-affected areas still remain a major concern. Attacks on soft targets like unarmed villagers, local people’s representatives and public properties have been the usual modus operandi of the banned Maoist outfits, guerrilla warfare experts say.District Reserve Guard head constable Birendra Kumar Sori was killed in an exchange of fire with Maoists in Abujhmad region of Narayanpur district on Wednesday.Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Chhattisgarh for three days beginning December 14 to review the law and order situation in the state and interact with surrendered Naxals and locals.
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