Anti-Maoist ops to continue in Bengal: CRPF

Notwithstanding a strong demand by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for withdrawal of joint forces, Central Reserve Police Force Director General K Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said the offensive by them will continue in Maoist-affected areas in West Bengal till the ultras are flushed out.

"There is no question of withdrawing forces from Maoist affected districts," Kumar told mediapersons after a meeting with top police and civil officials of three Maoist-affected districts.

On Trinamool Congress' demand for withdrawal of joint forces from Maoist-hit pockets of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts known collectively as 'Junglemahal,' Kumar said, "I cannot answer any political question. But I can say that the joint forces' offensive will continue until the Maoists are flushed out of the area."

Kumar, who visited Lalgarh and the CRPF camps during the day, said after a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, that the coordination and understanding between CRPF and the state police was good.

"Both of them are working together. However, there are ways to improvise and innovate. A few things are yet to be done," he said.

To another question the CRPF DG said, "It is too early to assess the situation in the state arising out of activities of the Left Wing Extremists."

On the outcome of the joint operations which have been going on for nearly 18 months now, Kumar replied, "I will not look back. We have to go ahead with our road map."

On the allegations of the existence of armed camps in the area and that Communist Party of India-Marxist cadre were being protected by the joint forces, Kumar replied, "I have got no complaints against CPI-M in the area."

Earlier, the chief minister had asserted that his government was determined to drive out the Maoists beyond the borders of Jharkhand and Orissa and the joint operations against them would continue. Apart from the chief minister, Kumar also met Director General Of Police Naparajit Mukherjee, Home Secretary G D Gautama and Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh.