The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on May 26, 2013. THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the barbaric attack by the Maoists on a convoy carrying Congress leaders participating in the ‘parivartan yatra’ of the party in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The attack has led to the death of 18 people including senior Congress leaders like the state Congress president and injuries to several others. This is the latest and most shocking example of the politics of violence and terror practiced by the Maoists against all their political opponents. The Chhattisgarh government is answerable for the reported lack of security arrangements for the yatra. On the one hand, the BJP government allows the killing of innocent tribals, as happened last week, in the name of fighting the Maoists and, on the other hand, it utterly fails to protect legitimate democratic activities in the state. The CPI(M) extends its condolences to the families of all those killed. It demands a high level enquiry into the incident. It also demands firm action to be taken to stop these Maoists depredations. It calls upon all democratic forces to fight the politics of violence by the Maoists.