Army won’t be used against Maoists: Chidambaram

RAIPUR/RANCHI: Visiting Maoist-affected Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Friday that the Army would not be involved in the offensive against naxals.

He said it was a matter of concern that Jharkhand had become the “epicentre of left-wing extremism” along with Chhattisgarh.

“There is no proposal to involve the Army in the anti-naxal operations,” said Mr. Chidambaram, who was in Ranchi to review the security situation in Jharkhand.

“Left-wing extremism is the gravest challenge to our way of life, our republic and our democracy,” he said of the banned CPI (Maoist).

“Our policy on left-wing extremism is very clear. There is no place for violence or so-called armed struggle for liberation in a republican, democratic form of government.

“They believe in armed liberation struggle. We reject that argument. So long any one indulges in violence, the State has to oppose and fight the group,” he said.

He said the Centre had made it clear at the recent Chief Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi that the so-called armed liberation struggle was unacceptable, and the police would act against it.

Earlier, Mr. Chidambaram said in Raipur that the Centre was committed to fighting naxalism and would provide all help to the Chhattisgarh government to eradicate the extremists. — PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/26/stories/2009092650930100.htm