Jaiswal asks Chhattisgarh to emulate AP in tackling naxal problem

New Delhi, Mar 16 (UNI) A day after 55 security personnel were killed in a pre-dawn naxal attack on a police camp at Ranibodli in Dantewada district, the Union Home Ministry today asked the Chhattisgarh government to emulate Andhra Pradesh in dealing with Maoists menace.

Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal told mediapersons that the Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh had succeeded in effectively curbing naxal problem, and asked the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh to "emulate" the southern state.

"Naxal activity was at its peak in Andhra Pradesh once, but things have become normal there," Mr Jaiswal said, pointing out the success story of the elite "Grey Hounds," an anti-naxalite force formed by Andhra Pradesh.

In this context, he said the Centre had been making available all assistance to the Chhattisgarh government to deal effectively with the naxalite problem.

"We have not taught any state as to how to fight against naxalism, but we have been providing every logistic and manpower support, like armoured vehicles, weapons and helicopters time and again, to the Chhattisgarh Government to tackle Naxalite menace," he said.

Mr Jaiswal's comment assumes significance in the context of the Congress Party asking the Opposition BJP to introspect as to why, in spite of getting all the support from the Centre, the BJP-ruled state of Chhattisgarh was topping in the number of deaths due to Naxalite attack.

''While we must condemn the Naxalite violence, we cannot help asking the party to look within and ask why this state accounted for 57 per cent of the total number of deaths due to Naxalite attacks in the country,'' Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said yesterday.

Asked if the Home Ministry withdrew a portion of the central para-miltary forces from Chhattisgarh for being deployed in the election-bound Uttar Pradesh, Mr Jaiswal replied in the negative.

''We have not withdrawn even a single personnel from Chhattisgarh despite the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections," he said, adding that the security in Chhattisgarh continued to be a priority for the Ministry as naxal violence was at its peak in the state.

In this context, he pointed out that 13 battalions (nearly 13,000 personnel) of central para-military forces, mostly from the Central Reserve Police Force, have been deployed in Chhattisgarh to complement the efforts of the state police.

UNI