Now, Red outfit in Jangalmahal warns Mamata

KOLKATA: A day before chief minister Mamata Banerjee's Jangalmahal visit, Maoist-backed outfit People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) threatened on Sunday to launch fresh agitation if the state did not stop "arbitrary arrest" of PCPA leaders. PCPA accused the state of adopting "unethical" means to deal with law and order in Jangalmahal.

In a statement, the PCPA alleged police are implicating innocents in false cases. The outfit also slammed rights activists who are part of Mamata's Jangalmahal peace mission. The government is not honest in trying to sort out problems in Jangalmahal, said PCPA spokesman Joydeb Mahato in the statement. He called the CM's initiatives an eyewash. "If they really want to start the peace process, then they should stop framing tribal leaders and stop operations against poor tribals," he said, referring to the arrest of PCPA secretary Manoj Mahato.

Observers said this was a ploy by the PCPA to pressurize the CM. On Thursday, she had appealed for to surrender arms in Jangalmahal, to be rehabilitated and reap the benefits of financial packages.