Chhattisgarh Deputy CM: Talks with Naxals Possible Only if Killings and IED Terror Stop
Raipur | Correspondent: Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma has made a strong statement regarding letters linked to peace talks with Naxals. He stated clearly that Naxals must first stop killing innocent civilians.
He added that Naxals must also remove all IEDs planted in forests and publicly share information about them. Only if these two conditions are met can any scope for dialogue be created. Calling this the government’s firm condition, Sharma said, “The lives of common people cannot be put at risk.”
The Home Minister revealed that two letters from Naxals have come forward, one from a Politburo member and another from a junior cadre associated with Telangana. He said the issues raised in these letters are misleading and are aimed at deceiving the state government.
“If the Naxals are truly sincere, they must prove it through their actions first. There is no justification for dialogue while they continue with violence and intimidation,” Sharma asserted.
Responding to questions raised in the Naxals’ letter, Sharma also targeted the previous Congress government. He alleged that during its tenure, the administration was forced to function under pressure, and several honest officers were falsely implicated.
According to him, ongoing investigations are now bringing new revelations every day. He claimed that outsiders were given protection in the liquor trade and money from it was funneled to the Congress office, which weakened the state system.
The Deputy CM stressed that the government has launched a decisive campaign against Naxalism. Security forces are conducting continuous operations, and strategies are being executed to ensure development reaches every village. He appealed to Naxals to abandon violence and return to the mainstream of society.
“If peace is the goal, they must first lay down arms. The politics of murder and IED terror must end before the government can even consider talks,” Sharma said.
Meanwhile, Congress state president Deepak Baij questioned the government’s stance, saying it has yet to clarify the authenticity of the letter. He urged the government to declare whether the Naxals should surrender or not, warning that underestimating the Naxal organization is dangerous overconfidence.
He pointed out that such misjudgment had already cost lives, an Additional SP was martyred recently, nine guest teachers were killed by Naxals, and even today, villagers in Bastar continue to be targeted.
