Centre Declares Maoists as Terrorists, Left Calls the Step Purposeless

The Union Home Ministry has declared the CPI-Maoists a terrorist organization, hours after the Left said that it would not ban Maoists in West Bengal.

In reaction to the step taken by the centre, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said that it will not help any purpose.

“If we ban Maoists, they will regroup under another name,” said Karat.

Karat, in a press conference in New Delhi, said that the Moist must be tackled politically and administratively.

Maintaining its earlier stand, the Left has attacked Trinamool Congress for the Lalgarh crisis and charged that the Trinamool and Maoists are hobnobbing. Karat also said that the Left believes that the Trinamool used Maoists in Lalgarh.

Earlier in day, the Left declared that the Maoists wouldn’t be banned in a statement.

Keeping in the view the 48 hour strike call in five states given by Maoists, the Centre has sounded out an alert to five Naxal-hit states against possible violence. The bandh was called to protest against the operation underway to secure Lalgarh.

Home Minister P Chidambaram has issued an alert specifically to Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal.

“The wrong politics of the Maoists cannot be countered by banning the organisation. It is necessary to combat their activities by political means,” said the statement by the Left Front.

The statement came just two days after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had said they could think of banning the Naxals.

There appears to be a divide in the Left on the issue. While Buddhadeb has been persuaded to think about a ban, the Left Front has made its stand clear that it is against the ban.

Meanwhile, after a day mainly combing the surrounding areas, the security forces will on Monday attempt to open up several fronts on the Galtore route towards Lalgarh for easy movement of troops.