New Delhi:
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today cleared the air over his extended stay in the United States in the wake of the deadly Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh. He said he had got permission to stay back for medical appointment.
"I led the delegation to US at the invitation of internal homeland security minister from May 19-23. The other delegates returned to Mumbai on May 23. I took permission to stay back till 29th because I had a doctor's appointment. I returned to India immediately after the appointment," Mr Shinde said, addressing his first press conference since the attack.
The Home Minister strongly condemned the "inhuman killing of innocent leaders" saying "it is an attack on our democracy".
Mr Shinde also said that he will go to Raipur tomorrow. He met Congress president Sonia Gandhi today and apprised her of the actions being taken by the government.
While he was in the US, questions were raised over the Mr Shinde's absence from the country. His official engagements were between May 20 and 22, with an extension till May 24.
Except the Home Minister, all other members of the Indian delegation who went to the US to take part in the bilateral meetings, had returned home as per the schedule. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was Home Minister till last year, was reportedly in regular touch with officials from the Home Ministry.
Twenty four people, including Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, senior leader Mahendra Karma, and former legislator Uday Mudliyar were killed and more than 30 others injured in the Maoist ambush in the forested area on May 25. Amongst the injured is former Union minister and Chhattisgarh Congressman, 84-year-old Vidya Charan Shukla who is being treated at Gurgaon's Medanta Medicity Hospital. (Read: Congress boycotts all-party meeting on Naxals in Chhattisgarh)
The attack is now being probed by the elite National Investigation Agency or NIA.
"I led the delegation to US at the invitation of internal homeland security minister from May 19-23. The other delegates returned to Mumbai on May 23. I took permission to stay back till 29th because I had a doctor's appointment. I returned to India immediately after the appointment," Mr Shinde said, addressing his first press conference since the attack.
The Home Minister strongly condemned the "inhuman killing of innocent leaders" saying "it is an attack on our democracy".
Mr Shinde also said that he will go to Raipur tomorrow. He met Congress president Sonia Gandhi today and apprised her of the actions being taken by the government.
While he was in the US, questions were raised over the Mr Shinde's absence from the country. His official engagements were between May 20 and 22, with an extension till May 24.
Except the Home Minister, all other members of the Indian delegation who went to the US to take part in the bilateral meetings, had returned home as per the schedule. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was Home Minister till last year, was reportedly in regular touch with officials from the Home Ministry.
Twenty four people, including Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, senior leader Mahendra Karma, and former legislator Uday Mudliyar were killed and more than 30 others injured in the Maoist ambush in the forested area on May 25. Amongst the injured is former Union minister and Chhattisgarh Congressman, 84-year-old Vidya Charan Shukla who is being treated at Gurgaon's Medanta Medicity Hospital. (Read: Congress boycotts all-party meeting on Naxals in Chhattisgarh)
The attack is now being probed by the elite National Investigation Agency or NIA.
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