Maoists blow up liquor shops in West Bengal - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Maoists launched a series of attacks and blew up liquor shops in West Bengal's Purulia district on Saturday. The rebels attacked liquor shops in Kotshila police station area. Abheesh Prasad, owner of one of the liquor shops, said: "Some of the Maoists were wearing civilian dress while others were in military uniform. They were carrying weapons also and they told us to leave this profession and do something else. They did not harm us but told us to leave." The Maoist revolt started in 1967 as a peasant-based uprising in West Bengal's Naxalbari town, but has now spread to large swathes of countryside in more than 20 out of 28 states. In response to the ceasefire call proposed by the Maoists, the government said that in the absence of an authentic statement, it was unable to respond immediately, raising doubts about the truce and peace talks. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had earlier said in a statement that talks could be possible if the rebels gave up violence, a demand the Maoists have so far refused. The rebels have ignored repeated calls to renounce violence and negotiate, and have stepped up their attacks in recent months, prompting the government to go after them in a concerted strike.