After YSR, Raman govt offers to talk to Naxals

Following in the footsteps of the new Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh’s BJP government for the first time invited PWG for t...

Following in the footsteps of the new Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh’s BJP government for the first time invited PWG for talks to end the decade-long violence.

Last week, Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had invited the PWG for talks, thus raising hopes for Chhattisgarh to see an end to the violence. Home Minister Brij Mohan Aggarwal said: ‘‘We will wait for PWG’s response to the AP CM’s offer and consult other Naxal-affected states for a common strategy.”

The BJP government, which came to power in December 2003, had not initiated any measures to tackle the Naxal problem faced by eight of the 16 districts. During the LS elections, the Naxal-affected areas had witnessed large-scale violence and looting of EVMs.

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On his return from the Naxal-affected districts, Aggarwal said: ‘‘We want to solve the problem through composite dialogue and it’s upto the Naxals to come forward and tell the government what they want.’’

The Home minister also met 22 families who were driven away by the Naxals from their village in Abujhmar.