BJP attacks Nitish for 'soft attitude' towards Maoists

PATNA: Putting the state government in dock over killing of three policemen by Maoists in Munger, BJP today flayed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his government's 'soft attitude' towards the ultras as a result of which there has been spate in Naxal violence in Bihar recently.

"The killing of three policemen by the Maoists in Sahebganj-Patna Inter City Express near Jamalpur station yesterday has yet again exposed the Nitish Kumar government's soft attitude towards the ultras," former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement.

The latest incident of Naxal violence has taken place soon after the central government and the intelligence agencies have censured the state government in a report and blamed its soft attitude for spurt in such activities in Bihar in recent times, he said.

The Maoists have appeared to have seized the state government's lack of resolve to crackdown on them to intensify their activities and they have put up posters in villages in Arwal, Jehanabad and Patna districts threatening to eliminate those political leaders opposed to them, Modi said.

Alleging that an atmosphere of fear and terror has gripped Bihar in the past five months due to cumulative increase in Naxal activities and other crimes, the former deputy chief minister reminded the Chief Minister about his responsibility to ensure a peaceful law and order situation in his capacity as the home minister.

Modi also attacked the ruling JD(U) for roping in politicians of criminal and tainted background recently which, he claimed, has adversely affected law and order situation in Bihar.

He also condemned murder of a doctor and a trader in the state capital in the past two days.