Raghubar Das expresses concern over naxal menace

Jamshedpur, Jun 10 (UNI) Former Jharkhand minister Raghubar Das today expressed concern over the increase in naxalite activites in Jharkhand and urged the centre and the state government to set up a comprehensive policy to resolve the issue.

Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Das, who is also the BJP MLA from Jamshedpur East, said that communist extremism has become a threat to democracy as it had not only affected 19 out of 22 districts in Jharkhand but nine other states were also affected by the naxal movement.

''Left extremism has become a national problem and if we fail to find an immediate solution to the naxal menace, our democracy would be at stake,'' Mr Das remarked and called upon all the parties cutting across their political affiliations to sit together and discuss the issue.

He was also anxious over the recent trend of the CPI (Maoist) rebels who were targeting political leaders, particularly in Jharkhand.'' Political leaders were being killed by the Maoists but the UPA government remains a mute spectator,'' Mr Das alleged.

Mr Das, the former Jharkhand Finance minister alleged that the rebels had a nexus with the contractors, forest and mining mafias and they were becoming richer through illegal felling of trees and unauthorised minining in Jharkhand.

He alleged that the maoists were being funded by foreign agencies.

Mr Das critised the UPA government at the centre for abolishing laws like POTA and stressed the need to bring about stringent laws to curb terrorism and extremism.

''The subversive forces are taking advantage of the soft attitude of the UPA government.'' Mr Das alleged and urged the government to deal the situation with iron hands.

He said the naxalite problem was related to socio-economic problems and an all round development in the rural areas alone would resolve the menace to a great extent.

UNI