Unite in fight against Maoists: Buddhadeb

Balarampur(Purulia),Nov14(IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday urged the people to unite in the fight against the Maoists and uproot them from the state.

'Maoist activity is the biggest problem in our state. They are creating hindrance in development work. They are also obstructing the schools and panchayats from running smoothly, besides killing innocent people,' Bhattacharjee said at a rally organised by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

'It's high time we all come together to fight against the Maoists. People will not forgive them for their politics of killings,' he said in this Maoist-affected belt of Purulia district.

Bhattacharjee said the Left-wing ultras have shifted their base to the Ayodhya Hills area after finding the going tough in West Midnapore's Lalgarh in the face of strong action by security forces.

'They are now committing atrocities in Arsa, Balarampur, Jhalda, Bandwan and Bagmundi areas during the night. They have killed several of our party supporters and leaders.

'The Maoists think that by killing innocent people, they will come to power in Bengal or they will be able to rule in Delhi, but we will not let them carry out their activities,' he said.

Despite repeated denials from the rebels, the chief minister maintained that Intelligence Branch officer Partha Biswas and school teacher Soumyajit Basu had been abducted by the Maoists.

'Both of them came here to teach the tribal people the usage of furnace, but they were abducted by the Maoists. I am trying my best to free them,' Bhattacharjee said.

The chief minister's meeting at Purulia was part of his tour to win back the support of rural population prior to the assembly elections - scheduled to be held in the first half of 2011.

Maoist Leadership is Divided: Buddhadeb

Kolkata: Nov 12, 2010- Amid speculation whether top Maoist leader Kisheji was dead, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee tonight stated he has heard about the same and that the Maoist leadership was now divided.

"I also heard about it (Kishenji is dead). The Maoist leadership is now divided. They (Maoists) are now cornered," he said.

Posters alluding to 'martyrdom' of Kishenji found by the police have intensified speculation over whether the Maoist top leader, who has not made any public appearance for eight months, is dead.

"Change has taken place in some areas of West Midnapore and Bankura where people are resisting the ultras, but recently in Purulia the Maoist problem has aggravated. They have kidnapped two persons. We are trying to free them although we have not yet succeeded", Bhattacharjee told a TV channel here.

"Politically we have achieved some success but the situation is still tough," he said.

He also rubbished Trinamool Congress' charge that CPI (M) 'harmads' (goons) were killing people in the guise of joint forces.

Bhattacharjee said that his party indirectly benefited from the operation of the joint forces but "it is wrong to say that joint force were sent to give benefit to us".

Not only in West Bengal, central force was sent to Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh to combat the Maoists, he said.

On Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's assurance to TC leaders that the role of the joint force would be inquired, Bhattacharjee quipped, "what will he say? They don't have time to listen to all these bogus things. Those who are directing the joint force are not so foolish".(PTI)

OUTLOOK, Filed On: Nov 12, 2010 23:17 IST

"Banning will not really lead to suppressing Maoists activities.": BUDDHADEB