On his first visit to this Naxal stronghold, Home Minister P Chidambaram today ruled out military action against the rebels, saying police and paramilitary would continue their operations even as he made a fresh offer of dialogue with extremists if they abjured 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-Naxal 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, Chidambaram 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 the Writers’ Building in Kolkata last night.
The minister said he had told the chief minister that he wanted inter-party clashes to end. The Naxal-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.
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Asked whether the Centre was planning military operations against the Naxals, Chidamabaram said: “No, we are not contemplating military action against Naxals. The state police, state armed police and paramilitary forces will be deployed to fight the Naxals.”
Expressing concern over the “direct or indirect” support to Naxals by PCPA, he said if they had 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 Naxals, 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 Naxals by the joint forces on June 20 last year.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident Naxals today triggered a landmine blast killing 10 security personnel and injuring as many in Orissa’s Koraput district, police said. The blast occurred as Home Minister P Chidamabaram visited the Naxalite territory of Lalgarh.