Left-wing extremism steadily increasing in Karnataka: Gowda

New Delhi, Apr 16: Left-wing extremism (LSE) is steadily increasing in five districts of Karnataka, Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda today said, demanding support from the Centre in training and provision of infrastructure to tackle it.

Addressing the Chief Ministers' conference on internal security, Gowda said while hardcore Naxal-affected states were being provided with additional funding, states like Karnataka which are also affected by the menace were not getting any support.

"The grand plan of left-wing organisations to infiltrate and expand their activities to infiltrate and expand their activities in the states sharing the Western Ghats is well known to the central government. As part of this plan, Naxal activities in the five Western Ghats' districts of Karnataka are steadily increasing," he said. He said the state is requesting support from the central government in strengthening the manpower of anti-Naxal force by way of training, additional funding and provision for state-of-art arms but no such assistance has been given by the Centre.

Gowda asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure assistance to the state through CRPF's COBRA unit in training of Anti-Naxalite Unit staff of Karnataka Police and also to extend additional funding and supply of appropriate arms to the unit. He said while Naxal-affected states have been allowed to set up critical infrastructure in the forest areas through relaxation of Forest Conservation Act, Karnataka has not been allowed to do so.

"In spite of our repeated requests, no such relaxation is being extended so far by the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment. Through this forum, I impress upon the Prime Minister to extend such relaxation to the Naxal-affected areas of Karnataka also," he said.

PTI