Use ballots and not bullets, Tharoor tells Maoists - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Saturday called upon Maoists to use ballots instead of bullets to voice their grievances. "In a democracy, violence has no place. We settle our differences by the ballot and not the bullet so as far as the government is concerned we will talk to those who peacefully wish to discuss with us all their demands, because development and political freedom are fundamentals to our objective," Tharoor told reporters in Kolkata. On Pakistan's anti terror efforts, Tharoor said the Islamic country would have to do more to contain the militant activities operating from its soil. "Our determination to see the threats to our country from the Pakistani side of the border should also cease and that is unaffected by our good wishes for the Pakistani authorities in their attempt to reassert control over their own country," Tharoor said, who was in Kolkata to address a Congress rally marking 25th death anniversary of Indira Gandhi. Reacting to Beijing's criticism over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Tharoor said China had no business to comment on the travel plans of the Prime Minister. "The territorial integrity of India is not negotiable. Arunachal Pradesh is a state of the Indian Union and our Prime Minister will travel there, as do others. It is as far as we are concerned not any other country's business what happens in our country," said Tharoor.