Centre ready to help naxalite-affected states: Jaiswal

Indore, June 8 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal today assured that all possible assistance would be provided to naxalite-affected states.

Mr Jaiswal told reporters here today that naxalism had not been effectively controlled in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

However, good work had been done in development and security fronts in Andhra Pradesh to deal with the menace resulting in incidents of naxalite violence coming down.

The Centre was fully prepared to fulfill the demands for police modernisation and for providing training and weapons besides other facility to naxalite-affected states.

Regarding the Supreme Court comment on agitation by Gujjars in Rajasthan, he said a political problem could be resolved on a political platform. The problem would not have aggravated if the Rajasthan Government had understood this earlier.

He said the matter pertained to law and order and had to be tackled by the Rajasthan Government.

On frequent instances of communal disturbances in Indore, Mr Jaiswal said, ''Unfortunately, such political parties are active that try to gain votes by spreading tension. Their vote bank does not get strengthened without such incidents taking place.'' He said no serious terrorist incident had taken place during the UPA tenure. He said attack on Parliament, Red Fort, Akshardham, Jammu Vidhan Sabha and other places had been carried out in order to disturb peace.

The Minister asked terrorist and separatist organisations to understand the challenges of the 21st century and join the mainstream.

He said no opportunity to enter into peaceful dialogue with separatist organisations would be left out. However, security and armed forces were prepared to deal with them if they didn't believe in peaceful dialogue.

UNI