Author: PTI
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: June 17, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/183477/Chidambaram-asks-Buddhadeb-to-give-clear-mandate-to-police.html
Sending a blunt message to the Buddhadeb Government,
the Centre on Wednesday asked it to give a clear mandate to the police to
reclaim areas dominated by Maoists in violence-hit West Midnapore and its
adjoining areas and deal with the "deteriorating" law and order
situation.
Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters
here that he had spoken to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and told
him that the state must move its forces to these troubled areas with clear
instructions to tackle the situation.
The Minister said there was an impression
that while one part of the Government was willing to take action against the
Maoists, another was worried about the fallout.
"The impression is that one side of the
Government is willing to take action, the other side of the Government is
worried about the consequences. Now, it is the judgment the Chief Minister
must make. They must move the (security) forces to the affected areas and
must reclaim that area which is now dominated by the Maoists," he said.
Agitating tribals of West Midnapore and adjoining
areas have been protesting police "atrocities" on them in the wake
of the landmine blast at Salboni which was believed to target the Chief Minister.
The tribals, numbering 2000 under the banner
of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, stopped paramilitary forces
from reaching the trouble-torn areas.
