Lalgarh: On his first visit to this Naxal
stronghold, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday ruled out
military action against Maoists,saying police and paramilitary
will continue their operations even as he made a fresh offer
of dialogue with extremists if they abjure violence.
Describing Naxals as "cowards" hiding in the
forests, he said if they were really interested in the welfare
of the people they should give up violence and come for talks.
Chidambaram termed as "mixed" the outcome of the joint
anti-Maoist operations saying that certain "weaknesses" need
to be rectified.
On the law and order situation in the state, which has
also witnessed clashes between the activists of ruling Left
and Opposition Trinamool Congress, he said, "I told him
(Bhattacharjee) the buck stops with you and he must ensure
that the buck stops with the SP or the officer in-charge."
"If the buck does not stop, it is a failure of the
administrative machinery," Chidamabaram told reporters here on
his meeting with Bhattacharjee, who holds the Home (Police)
portfolio, at Writers` Building in Kolkata last night.
The minister said he had told the chief minister
that he wanted inter-party clashes to end.
The Maoist-backed People`s Committee against
Police Atrocities (PCPA) has called a 24-hour bandh in West
Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts in protest against
the Home Minister`s visit to the area.
"Naxals are cowards. Why are they hiding in forests?
We have invited them for talks (but) after they abjure
violence. If they really want development, if they really want
to solve problems of the people, they are welcome to talk.
"I have said we can talk about anything in the world.
(They should) just give up violence," he said after an
hour-long meeting with top police and administrative officials
here.
Asked whether Centre was planning military operations
against the Naxals, Chidamabaram, who is here to review the
anti-Maoist drive, said, "No, we are not contemplating
military action against Naxals and state police, state armed
police and paramilitary forces alone will be deployed to fight
the Naxals."
Expressing concern over the "direct or indirect"
support to Naxals by PCPA, he said if they have a genuine
problem, he was willing to lend his "good offices" for
ensuring talks between them and the state government.
He said he has appealed to the villagers not to
support the Maoists, which they were doing out of fear.
Security was tight in Lalgarh, 135 kms from Kolkata,
and surrounding areas. Nearly 3,500 policemen have been
deployed in the area, which was wrested from the Maoists by
the joint forces on June 20 last year.
PTI
