New Delhi:
Ahead of the chief ministers' conference on internal security in New Delhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that the time for talks with the Naxals was over.
"There is no question of any compromise with such forces. We are fighting, and we'll continue to do that. The recent Naxal attack in the state has ruled out any option of dialogue with them. There will be no talks. The fight against Naxalites will be intensified," Mr Singh told NDTV.
Mr Singh will give his suggestion on fighting Naxalism in today's conference, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. (
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Terming the Maoist attack as a step carried out in frustration, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that his government will continue to do development work despite the threats posed by them.
"Maoists are anti-development. The recent attack shows that it was an attempt out of frustration to gain limelight. The government will take appropriate strict measures to check such attempts," Mr Singh said.
He also denied any "intelligence failure" by central and state security agencies.
Mr Singh's remarks came days after an unequivocal Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said there was no room for talks with the Maoists anymore. Calling them terrorists, he said, "it's very clear that the Maoists don't believe in the political process, they don't believe in our democracy, they don't believe in our constitutional values, so what do we talk about and whom do we talk to?" (
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Top leaders of the Chhattisgarh Congress, including the state party chief Nand Kumar Patel, were killed when the Maoists ambushed a convoy of cars carrying party leaders on May 25. Senior Congress leader
Mahendra Karma, the architect of anti-Naxal movement Salwa Judum, was among the 24 others killed.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Vidyacharan Shukla was among those injured in the attack. He is at present undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.