Congress, Chidambaram differ over CRPF-Naxal encounter

Raipur/New Delhi: The divide between the Congress party and the state government over the killings in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur have deepened with a report by the former saying that innocent children were killed in the crossfire.

The report by the Congress committee disagrees with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's clean chit to the CRPF.

The internal report of the Congress has named seven innocent children who were killed in Bijapur earlier this week.

The internal report of the Congress has named seven innocent children who were killed in the encounter at Bijapur.

Chidambaram's stand has often been different from the party earlier also on AFSPA and the Batla encounter. However, with questions being raised of human shields being used in the Bijapur encounter, Chidambaram was forced to express regret.

"If any young boy or girl or lady not involved in Maoist has been killed, then I am deeply sorry, but that is the matter which can be established after the enquiry has been done," said the Union Home Minister.

Meanwhile, the encounter has also forced a rethink, as the CRPF is likely to formulate new standard operating procedures for night operations.

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