Sushma for Army taking on Naxals

RAIPUR: The Union government might be divided over sending in the Army to take on Maoists, but the BJP backs Army deployment, said Sushma Swaraj, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, on a visit to Raipur on Friday. She said she was speaking on behalf of her party.”

‘‘The central leadership of BJP is of the view that the Army should be deployed in Maoist affected states to prevent any further loss of civilian lives and the lives of security personnel,’’ she said. She asked the government to stop dithering on the issue, and said her party would raise the issue in the monsoon session.

Swaraj’s declaration is not a major deviation from the BJP’s advocacy of ‘‘a strong response’’ to the Maoist insurgency raging across at least six states. In fact, the party has been vocal in its support for the home minister Chidambaram, speaking out in his favour at a time when his own party went public with their criticism of his anti-Maoist strategy.

In the aftermath of the attack at Chintalnar in April, in which 76 CRPF men were killed, the home minister had offered to resign. But BJP held a press conference, exhorting “senapati” Chidambaram not to quit.

At the press conference in Raipur, chief minister Raman Singh sat rather quietly, but when asked for comment, he said he had already discussed the need for Army deployment with the home minister.