Karnataka CM offers to hold dialogue with Naxals

Bangalore: Offering an olive branch, the new Congress government in Karnataka on Tuesday appealed to Naxals to come forward to hold a dialogue with it and said it would welcome their surrender.

Spelling out his five week old dispensation`s policy on Left wing extremism, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "Government is ready to have a dialogue with the Naxals or Left wing extremists. If they want to surrender, we welcome and we are ready for talks with them." He said Government would also take up developmental works in backward regions and areas inhabited by the tribals that are prone to Naxal extremism. "This is the stand of the government. We appeal to all those involved in these (Naxal) activities to come forward for a dialogue across the table," the Chief Minister said during an interaction with journalists. Siddaramaiah said the Naxal problem was "not very serious" in Karnataka where only three or four districts had been affected by it. Karnataka Government had requested the Centre to declare these as Naxal-hit districts as that would help in getting grants, he said. PTI