Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday described the CPI(Maoist) attack on a camp of the Eastern Frontier Rifles in West Bengal as another “outrageous” attempt by the banned organisation to overawe the established authority in the State and admitted that there were “indications of failure in some aspects,” which only a detailed review would reveal.
“While there are indications of failure in some aspects, only a thorough review will reveal how the police camp with adequate strength was overrun, when there was daylight, by the CPI (Maoist),” he said in a statement here.
Mr. Chidambaram, who spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said every attack of this kind “exposes the true nature and character of the CPI (Maoist).”
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He said: “I condemn the attack. There has been a massive loss of lives. Besides, more than 40 weapons are reported to have been looted. The leader of the CPI (Maoist) has claimed responsibility for the attack and has threatened to repeat such attacks in the future.
“Every attack of this kind exposes the true nature and character of the CPI (Maoist). Their goal is to seize power. Their weapon is violence. No organisation or group in a democratic republic has the right to take to violence to overpower the established legal authority.”
The overwhelming majority in the country would condemn the mindless violence unleashed by the CPI(Maoist) and would support the careful, controlled, and calibrated efforts of the Central and State governments to put an end to the violence.
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However, the Home Minister said he would like to hear the voices of condemnation of those who erroneously extended “intellectual and material support to the CPI (Maoist).”
“It is only if the whole country rejects the preposterous theses of the CPI (Maoist) and condemns the so called ‘armed liberation struggle’ that we can put an end to the menace of naxalism and bring development and progress to the people in the conflict zones,” he said.
As many as 24 Eastern Frontier Rifle jawans were killed on Monday when Maoists overran their camp at Silda in West Midnapore district after setting it ablaze.
The Home Minister offered condolences to the families of the slain jawans.
Rail property damaged
He pointed out that during the three-day bandh called by the CPI (Maoist) from February 7, their main target was railway property.
There were a total of 11 incidents — three in Bihar, six in Jharkhand and two in Orissa.