No difference in party over naxal issue: Cong

     Raipur, November 4, 2009: Congress party has denied any differences within the party on the way to deal with the naxal menace.

     There are no differences within the rank and file of Congress on combating naxalite menace, AICC Treasurer Motilal Vora said here.

     Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram along with the Government are serious towards rooting out naxalites from the country, Union Minister V Narayan Samy also said.

     They are serious as the Maoists are active in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh among others, he said.

     All the party leaders and workers wanted the three decade old menace to be root out from the state, Vora said.

     Not only the Congress leaders but also the Congress led UPA government was providing all assistance to the state in dealing with the situation, the former Chief Minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh said.

     It was now up to the state government how it was utilising the forces and other assistance, replying to another question, Vora said.

     Union Minister Samy also said the Maoists have become a major obstacle to the process of development, because of which they needed to be eradicated immediately.

     Without peace development was not possible and Congress wanted peace and development in the country, he said.

     The Union Minister also said every caution has to be taken during the anti naxal operation in Bastar and other regions so that the tribals and local villagers should not face any harm.