'Maoists are ready to talk if operations stop'

Maoists are ready for talks if the Centre stops operations against them, their leader Kishenji said on Friday.

"Maoists are ready for talks but Centre will have to stop torturing and arresting people in the name of Operation Greenhunt," Kishenji told PTI over phone from an undisclosed location. "In the name of arresting Maoists, the joint forces are arresting and torturing tribals in an inhuman manner. This should be stopped immediately," he said. 

Kishenji urged Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to stay away from the United Progressive Alliance and requested Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren to abstain from the meeting of chief ministers of the four states with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on February 9,

in Kolkata.

Kishenji said if Shibu Soren wanted to be a people's chief minister then he should abstain from the meeting in Kolkata. "The UPA government is fooling the people and (Mamata) Banerjee should stay away from UPA if she wants to serve the interests of the people," Kishenji said.

He also protested against the committee formed to facilitate the process of forming Telangana, saying Chidambaram was trying to send the proposal for the statehood of Telangana to the cold storage.