'Anti-Naxals ops in Chattisgarh unacceptable'

Amid the controversy over the anti-naxal operation in Chhattisgarh in which tribals were suspected to be among the 19 victims, the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry on Tuesday called the offensive "completely unacceptable" and targeted the state's Bharatiya Janata Party government.

Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo said he will raise the issue with Home Minister P Chidambaram.

"I am getting inputs from various sources. We have to get to the truth. It is completely unacceptable. State government does not have any authority to call such an action," Deo told PTI.

About his planned meeting with Chidambaram, Deo said, "We are trying to get further concrete information on the event and it will be done as early as possible. Then I will discuss it with my colleague in the government."

Dubbing as "notorious" Chhattisgarh government's record in conducting anti-naxal operations, Deo said, "Salva Judum was one of such notorious movements by the Chhattisgarh government which I had opposed as a Member of Parliament."

On Naxals reportedly using tribals as human shields to target security forces, he said, "These things are completely not acceptable to anyone.But at the same time indiscriminate firing by security forces is also wrong."

Deo further pointed out that the biggest sufferers during these operations are the women and children from tribal areas.

"For how long our tribal people will be used as cannon fodder in the name of action against naxals, especially women and children. We need to protect them and address their issues and protect their dignity," he said.

A controversy has erupted over the killing of 19 persons in anti-Maoist operations by security forces in Chattisgarh last week amid questions whether or not the victims were all Naxals and Chief Minister Raman Singh saying the rebels were using humans as "shields".

At least 19 suspected Naxals were killed in a fierce gunfight in the dense jungles of Dantewada during the night-long encounter on June 27-28 in a joint operation by over 300 CRPF and state police personnel from three directions.