M A I N   N E W S

Naxals: United we stand, Oppn tells govt
Tribune News Service

Opposition MPs disrupt Lok Sabha proceedings on Thursday. — PTI

New Delhi, April 15
Parliament today witnessed a broad consensus among disparate forces to tackle the threat arising out of the growing Maoist influence in vast tracts of the country, with most members cutting across party lines demanding firm action against rebels.

Replying to the day-long debate held along side in both Houses of Parliament on the massacre of 76 CRPF personnel by Maoists in Dantewada on April 6, Union Home Minister P Chidambram said: “We treat this as a grave law and order threat to the nation. On the other hand we must address the socio-economic problems facing the tribals inhabiting the areas under the Naxal influence.”

Sounding a note of alarm, the Home Minister said, “If this tragedy is not a wake-up call, nothing will wake us up.” “We should show greater determination in dealing with the enemy and greater compassion in tackling the socio-economic issues,” he added.

A confident and aggressive Chidambram also dismissed all speculation about his impending resignation and said: “I will continue to lead the Home Ministry.” However, he added that when such a terrible thing takes place it is the moral responsibility of the minister to resign. “I did resign. but the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson rejected it,” he said.

Though there was a broad consensus on tackling the Maoist threat, the parties did not desist from blaming each other for the problem. While BJP leaders Arun Jaitely and Yashwant Sinha attacking the UPA government, CPM leader Basudeb Acharia blamed Railway Minister Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee for supporting the Maoists.

Sinha accused the Congress of emboldening the Naxals by buying peace with them in Andhra for electoral gains, while Arun Kumar (Congress) from AP and Charan Das Mahant from Chhatisgarh read out clippings and figures to prove how AP had successfully tackled the Maoist problem.

Chiding the government, leader of the BJP in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said, “The Opposition stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the government but it cannot help him improve relations within the party. The Home Minister has been ghearoed by his own party.” Yashwant Sinha toed the same line in Lok Sabha and said: “We are with the Home Minister but the supreme question is whether the Congress is with him?”

“We doubt the integrity of this government when one of its ministers is continuously saying to withdraw Central forces from Maoist-infested areas,” CPM leader Basudeb Achariasaid.