Govt disapproves of 'non-state' law enforcers like Salwa Judum

NEW DELHI: In a virtual disapproval of anti-Naxalite group 'Salwa Judum' in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the Centre was not in favour of "non-state" actors taking the job of law enforcement in their hands.

"We are not in favour of non-state actors taking law enforcement in their hands," he said replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

Chidambaram was asked by D Raja of CPI if the Centre would consider asking the Chhattisgarh government to disband Salwa Judum, a counter-Naxalite vigilante group launched in Dantewada district in 2005.

"Law and order and law enforcement is the responsibility of the state government we do not approve of non-state actors taking over the responsibility," he said.

He, however, refused to go into legality of the group saying the matter was before the Supreme Court. Chidambaram said Salwa Judum was an organisation which apparently had the support of the state government and Centre had nothing to do with it.

On the continued detention of human rights activist and doctor Binayak Sen in Chhattisgarh since May 2007, he said the matter was under his consideration.