Comprehensive plan to tackle Naxals: Raman Singh

RAIPUR: After an all-party meeting boycotted by Congress, Chhattishgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said his government is working on a comprehensive short and medium-term plan to deal with Naxalism and asked the state's main opposition to help the administration in the task.

"We got key suggestions from different parties. We are working on a comprehensive plan to deal with Naxalism. Work is on ...both on a short term and long term basis," Singh said.

Asked about the absence of main opposition Congress whose almost entire top state leadership perished in the audacious May 25 attack by Maoists, Singh told reporters here after the meeting that they (Congress) should have stood together in such a situation and given their views.

The Chief Minister said "several political parties were conducting their activities in interior areas of the state and the Naxals took it as a challenge and carried out the cowardly act...But political activities will continue in the region (Bastar) in view of the assembly elections scheduled this year," Singh said.

He assured the meeting that security will be beefed up to ensure a safe and peaceful election.

The CM had called the all-party meet in the wake of the May 25 attack and it was attended by members of NCP, CPI, CPI(M) and BSP.

On theories of conspiracy behind the attack, the CM said "a judicial probe has already been ordered and those found responsible for the incident will not be spared, irrespective of their position."

Naxal leaders, who are involved in the attack will be identified, caught and punished, he added.

Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday last ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders at Darbha, killing 27 people including PCC chief Patel, his son Dinesh, senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudaliyar and injuring 37 others, including former Union minister V C Shukla.