Maoists and civil liberties groups nexus in West Bengal: Chakraborty

Kolkata, June 22 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty has said a nexus exists between Maoist and civil liberties groups in West Bengal.

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Chakraborti said, "NGOs like the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) have emerged as the frontline organisations of Maoist groups. Utterances that PCPA leaders have been making, the kind of speeches Maoist leaders have made in last few days will make it very obvious that if not the same they have a very, very close nexus."

He was speaking in response to demands made by some intellectuals and other groups that the Maoists and the PCPA should not be considered to be in the same league.

"Maoists and PCPA should shun violence and surrender. Police would take action against whoever would commit act of violence. The rebel groups should support the functioning of the government. They should join the mainstream," he said.

Earlier, hundreds of Maoists, who were expanding their influence across the country, had chased away police and killed government supporters from around Lalgarh, which they declared a "liberated zone". (ANI)