New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said no Cabinet minister was a supporter of Naxal violence, apparently dismissing charges that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee was sympathising with Maoists.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya
Sabha, he said a group of people from West Midnapore district
in West Bengal formed a group to protest against police
atrocities.
"One or two of my (Cabinet) colleagues visited the area in
order to talk to that group to find out what their complaint
was against the police," he said.
Chidambaram, however, did not name the ministers.
The ministers had met the group believing it had nothing
to do with CPI-Maoist. But once it was discovered that it was
a CPI-Maoist front organisation, they disassociated.
He said the ministers had "never supported" Naxal.
They are "totally against (Naxal) violence."
The Home Minister said it was only a perception that
ministers were supporting the Naxal movement.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 14:07