Karnataka Home Minister K.J. George said here on Saturday that there was not much Maoist activity in the State.
He told presspersons that Maoists appeared to have gone underground. The State government had a policy of encouraging Maoists who surrender to join the mainstream of society. This was being done within the legal framework. But Maoists who take the law into their own hands would be dealt with firmly by the police and the Anti-Naxal Force.
“If we notice any Maoist activity, we will take action to curb it. If any Maoist wants to surrender, a committee under the Chief Secretary will study the case and take action,” he said.To the Bharatiya Janata Party charge that terrorist activities were increasing in the State especially in Bhatkal and other towns in the coastal districts, Mr. George said terrorism was not confined to Karnataka alone. It was a problem confronting the entire country. Both the Union and the State governments had to jointly tackle it, he said.
There were only three or four persons from Bhatkal who had been linked to terrorism. But the media was projecting as if the entire town was full of terrorists, he said. “Most of the people there [in Bhatkal] are peace loving and want to live in harmony. We should try to encourage this. It is wrong to give statements only to make political capital,” he said.
On Arkavati Layout land denotification controversy, Mr. George said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had not denotified even an inch of land. The denotification had been done when the BJP was in power, he charged.
