Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s outburst at Home Minister P Chidambaram’s performance is disgusting. The home ministry has been found wanting in the Dantewada massacre as it is now clear that a very large proportion of the CRPF jawans who were killed did not even have basic anti-insurgent training. But Singh needs to look at his own track record as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Once he does this, he will find there are few indicators to show anything positive happening in the state during his decade or more there.
During Chidambaram’s tenure as finance minister, the economy has done well and, as home minister, this is the first big episode of Naxal violence. Anti-terrorist activities are a very long haul, especially when the police machinery is so run down that in most places it is almost non-existent. If senior party leaders are to fight like this, it only strengthens the terrorist hands. In this connection, the BJP’s response has been a mature one — and that’s when they are the Opposition party.
Anjali Gupta, Noida
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