BJP for united fight against Maoists, flays UPA
By IANSWednesday, April 7, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday called for “a unified strategy” against Maoists and accused the Congress and the Trinamool Congress of being soft to the rebels at varying times.
“We call upon the government of India and all states to work out and strengthen the unified strategy against Maoists,” a party statement said.
It said the Maoist insurgency was a challenge to the “nationalist forces of India (and) we must launch a fight to finish”.
The hard-hitting statement came two days after Maoist guerrillas dealt a heavy blow to the Indian state by massacring 76 security personnel in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh.
Alleging that some parties of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) were close to the guerrillas, the BJP said the government was a mute spectator to Maoist terror.
“Sections of the UPA have made Maoist-friendly noises in some states. West Bengal is a telling example of this,” it said, clearly referring to the Trinamool.
The party alleged that the Congress-led central government was a “silent spectator” when Maoists grew manifold during its first term in 2004-09.
“In Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, the Congress cozied up to the Maoists on election eve,” the statement added.
The BJP called the Chhattisgarh slaughter of the 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a state policeman “barbaric, inhuman and anti-national”.
“This attack is a grim reminder to the nation that both the geographical spread and the intensity of fire power of the Maoists has increased manifold in the past six years of UPA rule.”
