BJP leader shot dead by Naxals

MALKANGIRI, March 29: Senior BJP leader and
former chairman of the Zilla Parishad, Nanda Kartami was shot dead by
Naxals at Sikhpally village yesterday. The Left wing extremists also
torched the motorcycle in which Kartami was traveling.

It is learnt that the BJP leader was returning home from Malkangiri
yesterday when he was waylaid by the armed Naxals. They shot him from
point blank range and set fire to his bike. The body was left on the
road till this morning.

Kartami is survived by his wife and four sons. No hand bill claiming
involvement of any group was found at the spot. But two 9 mm live
bullet and three empty cartridges were found near the body.

Police sources including the Malkangiri IIC Mr Ramakrishna Pati, who
reached the spot today asserted that Naxals had killed Kartami.

The local BJP activists were shocked at the killing of their leader.
They were quick to note that the law and order machinery had collapsed
and the area was under Naxal control. We have been campaigning against
the failure of Mr Naveen Patnaik who heads the home department and
under whose regime Naxals have made deep inroads in the state, they
decried.
The recent incident at Govindpally, the Podia outpost blast and now the
killing of Kartami have established the fact that Mr Patnaik has failed
to protect life and property of people in the state, they alleged.

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