Strength of forces in Chhattisgarh not reduced due to UP poll : MHA

New Delhi, Mar 15 (UNI) The Home Ministry today clarified that it had not reduced the strength of the central para-military forces in recent times in Chhattisgarh, where naxalites killed 54 security personnel in a pre-dawn strike at Ranibodli police camp, as part of the exercise to deploy more forces to the election-bound Uttar Pradesh.

''We have not withdrawn even a single personnel from Chhattisgarh despite the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The security in Chhattisgarh is a priority for the Ministry as naxal violence is at its peak in the state,'' a spokesman of the Ministry said here, while pointing out that there was no need for any additional forces in the state as it already had 13 battalions of central para-military forces, mostly from the Central Reserve Police Force, to complement the efforts of the state police.

He, however, said the Centre would certainly respond if any additional forces were sought by the state government to tackle naxal menace.

''There is no decision in the ministry either to send a central team to Chhattisgarh or despatch any additional forces,'' the spokesman said.

Asked if any alert had been sounded to the states bordering Chhattisgarh and other naxalism-affected states, he said, ''there is no advisory so far." However, all states have been asked to be vigilant.

The spokesman said a huge quantity of weapons had been looted from the Ranibodli police post by the rebels, but the exact number could not be assessed so far.

He said two companies of the CRPF had rushed to the site within a short period of occurrence of the incident as they had already been deployed near the affected area.

The spokesman said a BSF helicopter -- M-17-- had been sent to the Bastar region for evacuation operation and not for combing purposes.

UNI