Home Minister Rajnath Singh has decided not to play Holi on Monday in view of the killing of 12 CRPF personnel by Maoists at Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.
In one of the deadliest attacks on security forces, 12 CRPF personnel were killed on Saturday and their arms looted when Naxals ambushed their patrol party in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh.
The incident occurred at 9:15 am in the dense forests near Kottacheru village under Bhejji police station – around 450 km away from the state capital – when 112 personnel of CRPF's 219th battalion were out for a road opening task.
Singh had visited Raipur on Saturday, where he paid respect to the slain jawans. The Home Minister described the attack on CRPF personnel as a "cowardly act" and said that their sacrifices wouldn't go in vain. He also advocated Rs 1 crore as compensation to the kin of the martyred jawans.
Rajnath Singh, along with Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, had met the injured CRPF jawans on Saturday in hospital.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)