BJP worker shot dead in Chhattisgarh, Maoist hand suspected

RAIPUR: A tribal BJP worker was shot by three bike-borne men in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-infested Bastar region on Friday. Birju Taram, 53, was the sixth BJP member to be killed this year in the Congress-governed state. Hours before he was shot, Taram had attended a rally of former CM Raman Singh.
Amid suspicions of a Maoist hand in the murder, locals and relatives blamed a strongman who had clashed with Taram and other tribals over idol worship, specifically of Durga.
Police said Taram was on a walk outside his home when he was shot four times at point-blank range around 8pm in Sarkheda village. He had prayed at a Durga temple a little before he was killed. Former CM Singh held the state government responsible for the “political killing”.