Central forces to shift to Darjeeling from Jangalmahal, says Shinde

FRASERGANJ: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said on Monday that Central forces posted in Jangalmahal would be shifted to Darjeeling where tension was prevailing for the past few weeks.

"The state government has requested us to deploy Central forces in Darjeeling and we will do so. Jangalmahal is now peaceful, but Darjeeling is becoming hot these days. Central forces will be deployed there to maintain law and order," the Union minister told reporters at Fraserganj in South 24-Parganas.

Shinde had visited coastal areas in southern parts of West Bengal during the day to examine initiatives for improving coastal security infrastructure to check cross-border smuggling and piracy.

The issue of providing security to Indian fishermen was also examined by the Union minister. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was also there with Shinde during his visit to some pockets of Indo-Bangladesh borders.

Interestingly, the Union home minister had refused to comment on West Bengal's law and order situation. "Law and order is a state's subject and I shall not comment on it," Shinde told reporters who sought his reaction on his party's Bengal unit's allegation that law and order situation in the state was grave.

Shinde also told reporters that the Centre was ready to deploy it's forces for the panchayat elections in West Bengal.

"We are ready to deploy our forces for West Bengal's panchayat elections once the state government wants us to do so," the minister informed.

Even though the state government wants the Centre to mobilize its forces from Jangalmahal to Darjeeling, a number of intelligence agencies have recently filed inputs to the state administration saying that Maoists are regrouping themselves in their old den of Jangalmahal and might take on the poor villagers and state administration again.

A senior state police official admitted that it would not be very wise to withdraw the entire force from Jangalmahal right now.

"We want the Central forces to stay in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura for another few months. If necessary, some of the companies from Jangalmahal might be shifted to Darjeeling, but not the entire force," the official added.