New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram
on Thursday hit out at CPI(M) for seeking to link Trinamool Congress
leader Mamata Banerjee to Rajdhani Express hijack and talked
tough on Maoist violence, saying no democracy can accept
"violence as an instrument of change".
"CPI(M) seems to know more about what is happening in
Trinamool Congress than what is happening in West Bengal. I
think these are baseless charges," Chidambaram told reporters
when referred to CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat`s charge that
Banerjee was linked to the hijacking.
"Just because CPI(M) and Trinamool are opposed in West
Bengal, responsible political leaders should not hurl charges
against other equally responsible leader," he said, adding
"I am not at all happy that such charges should be levelled
against a political leader."
Karat had yesterday suggested that People`s Committee
against Police Atrocities (PCPA), which detained the train
carrying about 1,200 passengers, had political patronage of
Mamata Banerjee, the Railway Minister.
Chidambaram said there was no intelligence input to
suggest that the train would be detained in West Bengal on
Tuesday and a probe is being conducted to ascertain who was
behind the act.
He said if anyone in the government knew that Rajdhani
Express would be detained, it would have made an attempt to
nip it in the bud.
On the government`s approach to deal with naxalism, the
Home Minister said "I have already stated our position. We do
not accept violence and our security forces will act against
anybody or group which engages in violence."
"No democracy, no republic can accept violence as an
instrument of change," Chidambaram said while briefing the
media on the decisions of union cabinet meeting.
At the same time, he said he had offered to hold talks
if Maoist or any other group abjures violence.
"The only thing I have been saying is abjure violence,
we are willing to talk," he said.
"As long as they don`t abjure violence, is it not the
duty of the state -- Central government and state government
-- to take action against those indulging in violence?...
Violence is unacceptable, violence must stop," he emphasised.
Describing the Rajdhani Express episode as a wake-up
call, Chidambaram said violence hitherto used to take place in
remote places but when it happened with Rajdhani train, people
woke up.
"Today, violence is against a police officer, it can be
against 1,200 passengers in a train....I have been giving this
wake-up call for several months," he said.
Disagreeing with the contention by some quarters that
the government was at "war" with the naxals, he said this word
is used only by CPI(M) and the media. "No civilised society
will go to war against its own people but people will have to
stop violence."
On Karat`s contention that the centre was not ready for
a joint operation against the Maoists in West Bengal,
Chidambaram said the CPI(M) leader "should talk to his Chief
Minister, he will tell him the actual situation."
The Home Minister said "maximum forces" have been given
to West Bengal for three districts where militants are
operating.
"The Chief Minister is fully aware of all the action
that has been taken. I have briefed the Chief Minister
personally," he said.
While talking about the ways to deal with Naxalism,
Chidambaram referred to an effort by Digvijay Singh as Chief
Minister of Madhya Pradesh while dealing with a violent group
in Balaghat.
Singh had proposed to reduce police presence if there
was no violence for three months.
Chidambaram, however, said it did not mean that that
particular example would work everywhere.
2nd FIR filed by CRPF
However, in an apparent damage control in the
Rajdhani hijacking case, a second FIR naming Maoists and a
group backed by them was filed today by the CRPF as against
the Railway Police`s first FIR in which no group or name was
mentioned.
"When the police forces were heading towards the train
on October 27 they were fired upon by the People`s Committee
Against Political Atrocities(PCPA) and Maoists. An FIR has
been lodged against them for attacking the police and
attempting to prevent them from doing their lawful duty," a
senior police officer said. However, no individual was
named in the fresh FIR.
Additional Director-General (Rlys) Dilip Mitra said
the GRP in its FIR named only `unknown miscreants` for the
train hold-up. This triggered allegations that attempts were
being made to shield the PCPA. The GRP department comes under
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The CRPF had joined the state police in securing the
Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani express to end the five-hour
hostage drama in Banstala in West Midnapore district in West
Bengal on Tuesday. The CRPF FIR was in addition to the FIR
filed by the Government Railway Police(GRP) on the same night
at Jhargram police station.
The Railways have also been informed about the second FIR,
Mitra said.
Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh meanwhile said
"FIR against specific person or organisation would have helped
the police investigation." He however said it will not make
"much of a difference" in the police probe.
Bureau Report
