Govt's anti-Maoist policy: Chidambaram's JNU encounter

New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram met students at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Wednesday. JNU is traditionally a bastion of the Left, whom Chidambaram has often attacked.

While talking to students about growing Maoist insurgency, the minister found both support for the government's anti-Maoists policy and protest against its Operation Green Hunt.

"It is a law and order problem with socio-economic problem. The government is willing to relook at the mining contracts. I am the first minister in this government who said abjure violence, don't have to give up weapons...and that we are willing to talk," Chidambaram said while addressing the students.

Jawaharlal Nehru University is said to be home to some of those whom Chidambaram calls 'Maoist sympathizers'. Recently, the home minister has been under attack from the Opposition and sometimes from his own partymen about his Naxal policy.  

Outside the auditorium, Chidambaram met with protests from both ends of the spectrum.

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Some students, mainly from the Left-backed parties shouted slogans against Operation Green Hunt, and others from the BJP's student wing ABVP protested that the minister was being soft on Maoists.

There were other protesters too, students of the university who just wanted to hear the Home Minister but were not allowed in by the organisers.

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"We were not allowed to attend. There are 5000 students at JNU, only a 100 attended this event. Those from the NSUI were allowed in," said a student.

Some of those who did manage to listen to Chidambaram, thought his reasoning on the Naxal menace was sound.

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"He said Naxals must abjure violence, the government is willing to talk to them," said an NSUI student.