BJP on Saturday slammed the government for adopting an “incongruous” policy on the fight against Naxalism and charged that it has tried to give terrorism a communal colour for appeasement politics and targeting political opponents.
The BJP National Executive, which is meeting in Panaji for a two-day conclave, on Saturday passed a resolution on ‘Security and Self-respect’ where the party expressed its concerns on issues ranging from foreign policy and treatment meted out to the Italian marines in the fishermen killing case to growing Naxalism and terrorism in the country.
The right-wing party vehemently defended its government in Chhattisgarh on the May 25 ambush on Congress leaders of the state by Maoists in which over a dozen people were killed.
The BJP said the Raman Singh government in the state has put in place a comprehensive plan to fight Naxal violence.
It charged the Congress of speaking in a confusing tone on the issue.
“The incongruities in the Congress’ policy of dealing with Naxalism on one hand whilst, and on the other, particularly during elections, doing deals with them, come to the surface periodically. Such reports have emerged from Andhra Pradesh and from Chhattisgarh,” the resolution said.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in the May 25 violence, for which some sections of the Congress have accused the state government of being responsible, preliminary reports emanating from the National Investigative Agency (NIA) have pointed a finger of suspicion on a few Congressmen as having maintained links with Maoists even as being a part of the targeted convoy.
“The Congress owes an explanation on this,” she said.
The main opposition said Naxalism continues to spread across the country and Naxals are now reportedly developing links with terrorists as well as buying arms from Pakistan and China.
“In 2005, there were 156 (Naxal-hit) districts in 13 states affected in varying degree. Media reports say Maoists have spread to 182 districts in 15 states. The Planning Commission of India has gone further and claimed that Left wing extremism prevails in 233 districts in 20 states,” the resolution said.
The party also maintained that there needs to be a comprehensive policy of dealing with Naxalism and though some effort was made in this direction by Congress after the 2010 Dantewada massacre in which 78 security personnel were killed, the process was abandoned.
“The then Home Minister had declared the policy of ‘Clear, Hold and Develop’ the Naxal-affected areas. Soon Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her senior party functionaries, including a general secretary wrote articles essentially sympathising with the Naxal cause in various publications.
“It resulted in stalling the proposal and demoralising the security forces. After sometime the same Home Minister started giving excuse that he has a limited mandate,” Sitharaman said.
Enumerating the efforts made by the party, BJP said it has tried to work for the aspirations of the tribals in Chhattisgarh.
“In the past nine years under Raman Singh, the BJP-led government in Chhattisgarh has undertaken various developmental projects and enacted the comprehensive Food Security Act, which is being implemented through an efficiently run PDS,” the resolution said.
