Naxals release a statement on Dantewada attack, saying 'DD Cameraman Achutyanand Sahu was killed after being caught… https://t.co/Til3jPAVPu — ANI (@ANI) 1541130516000

RAIPUR: Days after three policemen and a Doordarshan cameraperson were killed in an ambush in Dantewada district , Maoists on Friday clarified that the attack was to target security personnel and the cameraman too became the victim.The statement, dating October 31- the day after incident, was issued by Sainath , secretary of Darbha Divisional Committee, Communist Party of India (Maoists).Sainath, in the statement, expressed grief over death of DD cameraman Achyutananda Sahu saying that the Maoist cadres were not aware that the DD crew was also accompanying police at Nilwaya village, where the ambush took place.The statement further says, "The DD team was pillion riding on police's bikes when the ambush took place and we were oblivion of the fact they were journalists. When we opened fire, Achyutananda was also hit and he died, which we regret as he wasn't the target. Journalists are not our enemies, they are our friends, we will never attack them. We appeal the mediapersons as well as polling parties, not to accompany police or security forces when they come to Bastar in any condition.""The chief minister, union ministers and police officers have been propagating after the incident that the Maoists had targetted journalists and have attacked them, but this is to clarify that the ambush was laid for security forces and there was no intention to kill the journalist. Our party is being wrongly framed by the government that we deliberately attacked the scribe."The Maoist leader said that as part of ongoing assembly elections, a road between Aranpur and Burgum in Dantewada was being constructed from October 1, to lure voters. Policemen would force locals and beat them up while the construction work was underway. Hence, in order to mark our protest against the atrocities, PLGA laid an ambush to attack the policemen which killed three cops and the cameraperson, the Maoist leader said.