Suspected militants torch CPI (M) offices

Jhargram (West Bengal), June 23 (ANI): As Central paramilitary forces along with local police continue action against Maoists in Lalgarh area of West Bengal's Medinipur district, ultras and some anti-social elements elsewhere in the region attacked and set afire the office premises of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday.

The attack was carried out during the night at Jhargram in West Medinipur district in which certain Maoist factions set afire the local office premises of the CPI (M).

However, CPI-M functionary of Jhargram alleged that the goons who ransacked the party office and indulged in arson belonged to the rival Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.

"Yesterday night some anti-socials came around 12 in the midnight, wrecked our party office and set it on fire. However, they are not Maoists. They are Trinamool Congress (TMC) party goons who came from nearby areas," said Rabi Sarkar, a local party functionary of CPI (M), Jhargram.

Besides, in the neighbouring Purulia district, the office premises Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU), the labour union wing of CPI-M was also targetted and set on fire.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, in Lalgarh area, the security forces remained on alert waiting for the Maoists to emerge out of the jungle areas.

The Maoists confined to their camps at Banspahari jungles which overlap the districts of Bankura and Purbi Medinipur and also from Purulia, are impatiently waiting for the right moment to strike at their opponents - the security forces active in Lalgarh.

With covered faces, the Maoists seem to have prepared themselves for guerrilla warfare, from the jungles, which they have made their homes.

This, in turn, has placed around 18 police stations in these three districts to be on red alert and counter the threats posed by the Maoists.

The security forces have been deployed on the fringes of the forests, along the highways.

Commenting on these developments, Sameer Mitra, a former Deputy Inspector General of Border Security Force presently residing in Kolkata said that the Maoists would strike only when the security forces offer themselves up as soft targets.

"They will never come into direct confrontation until and unless they have found a soft target, like during the movement of a particular patrol which has been sent to collect information or to seek them out. If the patrol gets smaller in size and is not very vigilant and alert, the Maoists can certainly take them on," said Sameer Mitra, retired Deputy Inspector General, Border Security Force (BSF).

The State and Central security personnel were compelled to start the combing operation to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh, after the ultras in the guise of supporting the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), torched a police station and offices of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) killing several of their party activists. (ANI)