CRPF to stay in Bengal till Maoists flushed out: Vijay Kumar
By IANSTuesday, October 19, 2010
KOLKATA - The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel deployed in the Maoist-affected districts of West Bengal will not be withdrawn till the rebels are flushed out, CRPF Director General K. Vijay Kumar said Tuesday.
Vijay Kumar also said that he had not received any complaints about the state’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) having set up armed camps in the troubled spots.
“There is no question of withdrawing the forces. The personnel are working independently and will continue to work in this manner,” he said after a meeting with top CRPF and police officers in Midnapore town.
Vijay Kumar’s comments came a day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee announced that her party would hold a rally in the city Saturday demanding immediate withdrawal of the joint forces, alleging they were being used to further the interests of the ruling Marxists.
Asked about Banerjee’s demand that the joint forces be pulled out from these districts, the CRPF chief said: “I cannot answer any political question, but I can say that the joint forces’ offensive will continue until the Maoists are flushed out.”
Asked about allegations that CPI-M leaders are setting up camps in the area to shelter their “hooligans” with the help of the joint forces, Vijay Kumar replied that he had not come across any such complaints.
Banerjee Tuesday also claimed that the CPI-M was using the joint forces to set up armed camps to shelter party hooligans.
The state has 3,000 CRPF personnel deployed in counter-insurgency operations, in addition to 2,000 personnel of the state police.
Vijay Kumar, who flew into Lalgarh Tuesday morning, toured the area and visited all the nearby CRPF camps. He also spoke to villagers and enquired about their problems.
Later in the day, he met senior officers and state government officials at state secretariat - Writers’ Buildings.
“We have discussed in detail about the future plan but will not disclose it before the media. But only I can say that they (CRPF) will maintain the synergy which is going on here,” he said.
