Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
Swap with Naxals an exception, won't be a policy, says Bhattacharjee |
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Saturday that the exchange of Naxals' supporters
for a policeman was an exception and will not be a policy of his government. Addressing
the media on the sidelines of a Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central Committee
meeting here, Bhattacharjee said: "Freeing prisoners is not part of our policy
or mission." He added that his government is trying to get the Maoists out of
West Bengal. On Thursday, the West Bengal Government released 26 tribal women
who were arrested on charges of supporting the Maoist movement. On Friday, West
Bengal Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen reportedly said there was no other option but
to give in to the Naxal demand. Justifying the decision, Sen said India is a soft
state, and that there are precedents in the past. He cited the release of militants
in the Kandahar hijack case and the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case. Reacting to
Sen's statement, Bhattacharjee said: "It was his personal opinion and not of the
West Bengal Government's and he personally feels that India is not a soft state."
Denying allegations of withdrawing forces from the operational areas in the Lalgarh
region Bhattacharjee said: "We asked the police to halt the operation for a couple
of hours to complete the rescue procedures. It was just a few hours ceasefire."
Earlier this week, the red ultra's killed two policemen and kidnapped another
officer Attindranath Dutta, from West Bengal's Midnapore District. The ultras
who came on motorbikes, also looted over Rs. nine lakh from a nearby State Bank
of India branch before making good their escaping. Dutta was released on Thursday
after negotiations. |
|
|
|
|
|