Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 24 (ANI): Congress leader and the party's Chhattisgarh in-charge Sachin Pilot met with the family members of Akash Rao Giripunje, Additional Superintendent of Police, who lost his life in an IED blast in Sukma district.

Congress's state president Deepak Baij, Chhattisgarh Assembly's leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant, party MLA Devendra Yadav, former MLA Vikas Upadhyay and others accompanied Pilot to meet the families.

Pilot said that the sacrifice of the ASP will always be remembered, as he assured the family of support in any possible way.

'I expressed condolences to the family of the officer. We will support them in all possible way, and government is also helping them... We will always remember their sacrifice,' he told ANI.

He also criticised the state government for 'turning away from its promises,' and said that the Congress party's president, Mallikarjun Kharge, along with senior leader KC Venugopal, will be visiting Chhattisgarh on July 7.

'Concentrating entire country's power in few people's hands is wrong... Many state governments and the Union government is sidelining all sorts of processes and achieving their target, which we are against... The Chhattisgarh government is neither with the farmers, and is also turning away from its promises... Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal are coming to Chhattisgarh on 7th July... State government will come to know who the public stands with,' Pilot said.

Earlier on June 23, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the family members of ASP Giripunje.

In a post on X, Shah wrote, 'Today, I met the family members of senior police officer Akash Rao Giripunje, who was martyred in the fight against Naxalism in Nava Raipur (Chhattisgarh). The Modi government is moving forward in the direction of paying tribute to all the immortal martyrs by making India free of naxalism by March 31, 2026.'

According to officials, ASP Giripunje was on foot patrol duty to prevent any Naxalite incident, when the IED blast occurred near Dondra on Konta-Errabora road, due to which ASP Konta Division, Sukma district, Akash Rao Giripunje sustained serious injuries. He later succumbed to the injuries. (ANI)