Hariprasada: Govt failed to curb naxals, must step down

Raipur, July 21, 2011

Maintaining that the BJP had no right to remain in power in the state in the backdrop of unremitting naxal violence and in the aftermath of Maoist attack on PCC president Nandkumar Patel’s convoy, the Congress has demanded from the government to step down on moral grounds. “It is the government’s indifference that has resulted in rise in naxal violence in the state. Several innocent people including public representatives have been killed in naxal violence. The recent attack is on Patel’s convoy which again claimed innocent lives. This should be stopped. The government must accept its failure and step down,” said state Congress general secretary incharge BK Hariprasada while he was interacting with the media persons at New Circuit House on Thursday.

“Funds released by the Centre to the state to tackle naxal menace has been misused. The law and order condition in the state is horrible. Even the capital Raipur is not secure. It has rather turned into a rape and murder city,” Hariprasada said.

When asked why after every naxal incident the political parties start playing politics over it, Hariprasada said the Congress never entangled in such habits. “We are simply putting the facts before public. The naxal are expanding their domain in the state because the government has not taken any concrete step against them by far,” he said.

Asked the reason for delay in joint operation against naxalism by the Maoist-hit state governments and Centre, Hariprasada said the ball was in state governments’ court and they were supposed to take initiative. “The Centre is always ready to help the state governments. Hence, it is giving whatever the naxal-hit state governments are stipulating to deal the extremists. But for joint operation, the state governments would have to first sort out difference of opinions and then hold talks with the Centre for further action,” he said.

When asked how would Congress deal naxalism, Hariprasada said, “Dialogue can be the apt option if the Maoists would voluntarily put down their guns and shun violence.”

Asked whether the Congress would term naxalism as socio-economic problem or law and order matter, Hariprasada said, “Initially, naxalism was a socio-economic problem, but gradually it turned into law and order problem.”

When indicated that the Congress itself seemed divided on approach to deal naxalism as a section of its own leaders advocated for salva judum while the remaining ones opposed it, Hariprasada said the Congress form opinion as a unit and not as an individual. “The Congress respects and follows Supreme Court directives on salva judum,” he said firmly.

When asked to elaborate his ‘fund misuse’ allegation against the state government, Hariprasada said, “The glaring example is age-old vehicles being used by cops in naxal-hit areas in spite sufficient funds being flown from the Centre.”

During Hariprasada’s media interaction, the Congress leaders including Patel, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Dr Charandas Mahant, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Kantilal Bhuria, Congress legislators’ party (CLP) Ravindra Choubey, Vidya Charan Shukla, legislators Mohammad Akbar, Amitesh Shukla and Kuldeep Juneja along with Satyanarayan Sharma, PCC spokespersons duo Rajendra Tiwari and Ramesh Varlyani, PCC media incharge Mahendra Chhabra, PMC working president Kalpana Patel, etc were also present.