'Naxals did not shoot down the chopper'

Even as the nation awaits news about missing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, search operations are on a war footing.

The Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Space Research Organisation, Andhra Pradesh police are all involved in the search.

Union Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai, who is monitoring the situation closely, told rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa about the government's plans to do to find YSR.

Sir, it has been 11 hours and there is still no sign of Dr Reddy. Why is this search taking so long?

It is a difficult situation and the chopper -- according to the information that we have -- has gone missing in a very dense forest area. The weather is not too conducive to conduct a search operation. However, we are doing our best to find the chief minister.

How much more time do you think this operation would take?

I cannot say for sure. As I mentioned, it is a dense jungle and hence, operations are tough. If it were to be a mountainous terrain, I could have said for sure.

It is very difficult to say specifically when it is a jungle. All I can say is that we are hopeful of ending this search on a good note very soon.

How are the operations being conducted?

There is a huge ground force which is conducting the search operation. They are relying on locals also for information. They are not leaving any stone unturned. They are combing the forests every 100 square kilometres.

Since the search is so intense, it is taking time. Moreover, the weather conditions have not been favourable.

Which agencies are assisting the operation?

ISRO and the air force are involved in the search. I am confident that the help rendered by them will be of a lot of use. We are not taking any chances and are constantly in touch with the state agencies too.

There were claims earlier that some tribals had spotted the chopper and the search was coming to a close. What is your take on this?

A lot of tribals have spotted the chopper. However, no one has spotted it on the ground as yet. A lot many people have said that they had seen the chopper flying earlier this morning. However, there is nothing substantial to state that the chopper had touched the ground.

Had that been the case, the operation would have been completed soon. Yes, the agencies are taking the help of locals in the area to find the chief minister.

The forest is said to be infested with Naxalites. Is the government considering this angle or has it been ruled out completely?

I can say with confidence that the Naxals did not shoot down the chopper. At this point of time, I would rule out the Naxalite angle.

Why do you rule out the Naxalite angle?

Had there been an involvement by the Naxalites, we would have had some communication by now. Since there has been no communication, I can say that they may not be involved or behind this incident.

The chopper may have touched the ground and the signal or link lost. That is all I can say as of now.