Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday gave no clear indication on whether the government was considering extending home minister P. Chidambaram’s mandate in dealing with the Naxalite violence or not. Dr Singh said that the issue will be discussed at an appropriate forum.
“The home minister has explained what he meant by his having a limited mandate. These are issues which are strategy issues, hence will be discussed in appropriate forum of the Cabinet whenever an opportunity arises,” Dr Singh said. The Prime Minister was replying to a query on the home minister statement on May 17 that he had “limited mandate” while dealing with the Maoist violence.
It may be recalled here that the issue of “limited mandate” raised by Mr Chidambaram. The home minister, however, later said that the state governments which have the primary responsibility task in dealing with the Naxalite issue and his statement was in that context.
Dr Singh also maintained that dealing with Naxalism was the responsibility of the state governments and the Centre would provide required assistance.
He then said, “This is a problem which has acquired such a magnitude that cooperation between the Centre and states is absolutely necessary, and the Central government must help states in every possible way.”
He reminded that he had always regarded Naxalism as the “biggest challenge”. Dr Singh pointed out that he had spoken to the chief ministers of the states over the issue. On the issues of a section of human rights activist propagating the Naxal agenda, Dr Singh said that there was no move to restrict them, as long as they do not indulge in violent activities.
For Dr Singh, “India is a democratic country and in democracy everyone has the right to express his views before the people. If the views don’t propagate violence, there can’t be any restriction on that.”
Dr Singh said that “as the Prime Minister of this country, I am accountable to Parliament, I am accountable to the people at large.” He expressed deep sorrow and felt that there was a “need to go into their causes so that a system could be put in place to avert such incidents.”
Replying to a question on “Hindu terror”, the Prime Minister said that “terror has no religion”.