Naxal menace in Chhattisgarh can only be resolved by talks not by bullets: Raj Babbar

RAIPUR: Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar on Saturday focussed on the need for a dialogue with Naxals to solve their problems and added that issue cannot be resolved by bullets.

"The Naxal issue in Chhattisgarh will not be resolved by bullets but through talks. The grievances of Naxals should be addressed as they started a 'movement' for the rights of people. Those who have diverted from the mainstream should be brought back," he said.

When asked if he was referring to Naxals as revolutionaries, he said: "I want to clarify that I said the issue can be solved through talks with those (Naxals) who call themselves revolutionaries by indulging in acts of terrorism."

#WATCH Goliyon se faisle hal nahi hote.Unke sawaal ko address karna padega, aur unko darra kar, ya lalach dekar kranti ke jo log nikle huye hain unhe rok nahi sakte hain. Na idhar ki bandook se hal niklega na udhar ki, baatcheet se hal niklega:Raj Babbar in Raipur (3.11) pic.twitter.com/7A2VeA3hzk — ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2018

He also hit back at the several allegations levelled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that the Congress was "backing" Naxals. "The Congress party had lost its state leadership (in Naxal attack in May 2013). BJP keeps on accusing the Congress of directly or indirectly backing Naxals which reflects BJPs mental sickness. How can the Congress party which lost its senior (state) leadership in a Naxal attack take their side," Babbar asked. 

In a press conference in the run up to the state assembly elections, Babbar also attacked Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for pushing the state's "health" into "critical condition".

Babbar said that Chhattisgarh ranked 20th in the list of 21 states for providing health services, and posts of doctors and nurses were lying vacant. "The chief minister has dashed the hopes of people who were thinking that health facilities would improve after a doctor became CM. Health facilities are pathetic in Chhattisgarh. A doctor CM has pushed the state's health services into the ICU during his 15-year rule," Babbar alleged.

He said the Raman Singh government had failed to build a single hospital in Bastar region for security forces getting injured in anti-Naxal operations.

These injured jawans have to be airlifted to Raipur or require admission in private medical facilities, he added.

Voting in Chhattisgarh will take place in two phases on November 12 and November 20 and counting of votes will be taken up on December 11.