PM asks Naxalites to face elections

Sending a strong message to Naxalites, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked them that they must "test their popularity at the elections" by participating in the democratic process.

The Prime Minister said violence would not be tolerated by the government as seen by the re-imposition of the ban on Naxal outfits such as the CPI (Maoist-Leninist).

"I have said this to the Hurriyat Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, to the United Liberation Front of Asom and to Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh ""there is no grievance that cannot be redressed through democratic means and sustained dialogue," Singh said after inaugurating a national seminar on "Press and the Nation", organised by Prajasakti, a CPI-(M) Telugu daily.

"No society can tolerate those who kill innocent people," he said stating that the power of the people in a democracy flowed through ballot box and not from the barrel of a gun and dared the Naxalite groups to "test their popularity at the elections".

"Every political group that claims to represent the interests of people or of a section must test its popularity at the elections. Go and ask people to vote for you. Come to legislatures and enact the laws that you wish to see in place," the Prime Minister said.

Faced with violence, the state had no option but to respond with a crackdown, as seen by the Andhra Pradesh government first lifting the ban on the CPI(ML) and later imposing it upon the killing of a Congress legislator a few days ago.

Earlier, Singh unveiled a statue of former President N Sanjeeva Reddy at the secretariat and spoke to Nagaratnamma, widow of slain Congress MLA C Narsi Reddy.

Reddy was killed in a Naxalite attack in Narayanpet town on the Independence Day along with nine others.

Recalling how he was heartened to hear revolutionary balladeer and former Naxalite emissary Gadar's remark on a television channel that the killing of innocent people did not help win a cause, he said "this is an important liberal principle. Our democracy allows us freedom to champion our cause and win people over to our point of view."