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Gaur hits out at Maoists, cautions against cult of violence

Staff Correspondent

"Those who defy the Constitution and trample the Tricolour are the worst enemies"

Babulal Gaur, talking tough.

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur said in the Assembly on Thursday that the naxalites who now call themselves Communist (Maoists) have no faith in the Constitution or the democratic system and want to achieve the "so-called rule of the downtrodden" through violent means.

Mr. Gaur's statement was in response to posters that have come up in many villages falling under the Rupjhar police station area of Balaghat district announcing that the Communist Party (Maoists) would be observing a "martyrs' week" from July 28 to August 3.

During this period, they would be setting up village security teams and intensifying guerrilla war to establish the rule of the deprived sections.

The Chief Minister said everyday one keeps hearing that naxalites have intensified their activities in the neighbouring States. A Minister in the former Congress-led State Government, Likhiram Kavre was also killed by naxalites and an innocent Police officer, Bhaskar Diwan, was also blown up in a land-mine blast in an earlier incident, he said adding that serious thought should be given to tackle the naxalite menace.

Mr. Gaur said the naxalites have chosen the path of violence when every section of society in this country has the opportunity to attain power through democratic means to bring about social change.

Citing his own example, he said he was just an ordinary labourer at one stage. Even Shankar Dayal Sharma hailed from a modest background and rose to become the President, he said adding that "those who defy the Constitution and trample the Tricolour are the worst enemies of the country". He said those who are being described as martyrs by naxalites were actually misguided elements, who died in police encounter.

The Chief Minister appealed to the citizens to peacefully counter the emerging threat. He asked the people to launch an awareness drive to defeat those who were trying to spread the cult of violence.

Specially addressing the weaker sections, the Chief Minister said they should try and get the misguided elements back into the social mainstream.

Replying to this statement the leader of Opposition, Jamuna Devi said that the RSS and its extremist wings like the VHP and Bajrang Dal were actually encouraging Maoist rebels to intensify their activities.

This led to a strong protest by the State Minister, Gauri Shankar Shejwar but his point of order was overruled by Hazarilal Raghuvanshi, who was presiding over the proceedings.

Speaking further, Ms. Devi cited the recent example of BJP-VHP-Bajrang Dal activists, who had protested on the tarmac and stopped the Delhi-bound Jet Airways flight from taking off at Indore to protest against the terrorist attack at Ayodhya and said these protestors also tried to hijack the aircraft.

Ms. Devi said that the organisations linked with the ruling party as well as the Police and forest department employees were spreading terror and fear in the State besides encouraging the naxalites to intensify their activities.

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