Congress asks govt to take steps to 'wipe out' Naxal menace

Hardening its stance, the Congress today said the Centre should take all steps to wipe out the "terrible scourge" of Maoist violence.

It termed yesterday's Dantewada Naxal attack, in which 76 security personnel were killed, as "outrageous" and said the party fully backs government's efforts to check the menace.

"The Central government should take all steps to prevent any such attacks in future and to wipe out the Maoist menace from our country...it should be fought with all strengths at our command and in every possible manner," party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told reporters in New Delhi.

Expressing shock and sorrow at the "outrageous" attack, Natarajan said, "it is a direct challenge to constitutional provisions of democracy. We believe it is absolutely vital and most important challenge before our polity to wipe out the menace of Maoist insurgency."

Natarajan also had a word of praise for Union home minister P Chidambaram saying, "The home minister has demonstrated great concern. He is devoted to the task at hand."

She made the comments when asked whether the party justifies the home minister's recent statements challenging the Maoists and whether it thinks the government should be cautious in giving aggressive statements.

On whether the party endorses Chidamabaram's remark in which he had told the West Bengal chief minister that the buck stops with him, Natarjan said it was said in the context of responsibilities of the West Bengal government. "The  statement is true in that context."

The Congress leader said the party is aware that "the government is dedicated to wipe out this terror."

Asked whether the party is dropping its earlier stand of dealing with the Naxal issue both at the law and order as well as socio-economic front, the Congress leader replied in the negative.

Pointing out at the Dantewada incident, she said, "At this point of time this violence needs to be stopped at all costs."

She said socio-economic issues will also be addressed simultaneously but added that talks with Maoists cannot happen until they eschew violence.

"Government is well-equipped to think about strategy. We are fully with the government in all steps they are taking (to check Naxal violence)," Natarajan said, parrying a question on whether Congress would like the government to have a re-think on Operation Green Hunt against the Maoists.

Asked whether the party agrees with the BJP statement that it should be a fight to finish the naxals, Natarjan admitted that a very tough and concrete line needs to be taken.