New Delhi: Congress Monday asserted that it
had extended "moral support" to the rally organised by
Trinamool Congress in Maoist-affected Lalgarh in West Bengal,
saying it was intended to restore peace in the area.
"Congress has extended moral support to the rally.
Intellectuals, writers, artists and others are working for
restoration of peace in the area," party spokesman Shakeel
Ahmed told reporters here.
He said the West Bengal PCC had received an invitation
for the rally but as the Congress had organised a different
function today, it did not attend the meeting at Lalgarh.
Asked about the involvement of Maoists in the rally,
Ahmed said he was not aware of that but insisted that the
Congress believed in a "holistic approach" to deal with the
Naxalites.
"There should be a holistic approach to deal with the
Maoists. This is also the approach of the government. If there
are genuine grievances, those should be removed, if there are
perceived grievances, the perception should be removed, if
development is needed, it should be carried out but if some
people believe in the cult of the gun, they should be firmly
dealt with," Ahmed added.
Earlier, the rally had its echo in Parliament with Left
members seeking to know the Centre`s stand on the alleged
hobnobbing of the Trinamool with the Maoists.
PTI
